Three poems by Alexis Bates

Rainy Days

He comes home boots muddy
hands bloodied
sits down for a drink
and calls me honey
I feel myself shrink
under the pressure
of marriage
I’m starting to rethink
the concept of marriage



Daughter

You’re such a good girl
building caves in your cheeks
with all the words
you’ve hidden there



Wild

I have fallen in love
with myself

my distorted features
meaningless
in the face
of a broken mirror

my skin
calloused and bleeding

I am yellow bruises
and muddy footprints

I have learned
to love myself
wild


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 About the author: Alexis Bates, 18, is an upstart poet and writer living in Baltimore, MD. Her poems force us to reflect on how we relate to topics such as self-perception, feminism, and mental illness. Her work has previously appeared or is forthcoming in Doll Hospital, White Ash, Rising Phoenix, and others.

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