because in / ten years / i will be
twenty-nine and i / don’t wish
to grow anything / beyond that /
sallow in me my stomach / my
swallow / my esophagus stripped
in two / find me a hole sutured /
by my mother’s anger / she
carves / her face out with
a spoon / the ladle dimpling
through pores / silver wedded /
to skin / tell me / why do
women build houses / out of
bruises? / in my backyard / a
matrimony of limestone and
a husband / who hungers /
he hangs his head / by the
bone / neck crooked / over
granite i / wait by the stove / i
flay / wallpaper into butter-
flies / how wanton wings /
appear / when wasted
the night i / disappear / who
will notice? / just / the kitchen
punctuated by / wine glasses
rimming / with wetness /
leftover saliva from / the night
my insides / shallowed
if i had / a child / she would
capitulate / she would / paint
her pupil into the attic / let
dust / shave the collar / to
the marrow / her father /
my sorrow / if i had a child
my house / would diminish /
when i die / she will find
my body / in the garden
Josephine Wu is a sophomore at Georgetown University, where she is a Lannan Fellow studying English and Government. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in Kalopsia Literary Journal, Bitter Fruit Review, and Dishsoap Quarterly. She has also been recognized as an Adroit Commended Finalist for prose and nominated for a Best of the Net in poetry. You can find the full collection of her work at https://josephinewu.carrd.co.
Eunoia Review 