I am my father's daughter
the apple of his eye
that didn't fall too far from his tree
the fruit of the same loom
that I use to weave my web of lies
always shady
like I'm perpetually standing under those branches

I am my mother's daughter
her second cracked egg
that should have grown into a dove
but came out a vulture instead
didn't need a nudge to leave the nest
I was first to fly the coop
a free bird
while the others flew straight into a cage

Now the tree went up in flames
and took the nest with it
and I'm starting to think that
maybe
I was a Phoenix all along
and from the ashes
comes the new soil
that I need
to grow.


*s.mndi

the incessant screaming of
"you fat ****",
"if you weren't fat it would fit nicely" and
"nothing suits you except ugly clothes"
brought her to tears,
until she couldn't stand.
and so in her new frock
she wept silently to herself,
kneeling on the floor
in front of her closet,
as if there were deities
in there that demanded her
worship.