I have a genetic half sister
Whose face is obscured in my memory
Cloaked in the shadow of Mt. Saint Helens
I sang her Disney lullabies
To quiet our father's wrathful expression
In his rear view mirror
She smelled like warm milk and mildew
I have a chosen sister
Who moved a 30-minute train ride
From the city where I learned
That not all fathers love their daughters
That rain can sting your face if you run too quickly
She takes the ointment of a joyful life to the places
Where wet earth was once an open sore
Caitlin McKenzie (she/they) is a queer neurodivergant poet and collage artist based out of Barrie, ON. Her work can be seen in publications such as Pink Plastic House Magazine, The Northern Appeal, Aurora Mag, and Acta Victoriana.