I want this and it’s ugly. It has seven buttons
and half of them match
the color of my flesh
behind my knees.
I want this and it’s ugly,
knuckles cracked and
have you considered buying more aquaphor?
Our grocery list is twelve pages long,
I get lost by the freezers and I want
the ugly things. Garish packages and unfood shaped
food. I throw them in
my shopping cart basket tote
and everything weighs more
than I thought it would. It’s like you’re a child
with long hair
in the bathtub
and for a moment you realize
how fucking heavy
your hair is.
The flesh inside my elbows
aches with the weight
and I get home and stock the freezer
fridge pantry, unbuttoned.
Emrhys Ma (they/them) is a non-binary disabled parent who spends too much time online. You can find evidence of this on Twitter and Instagram at @em_cee_ma. They also review children’s literature and media at kidculturereviews.family.blog.