[opening the veins] by Christine Hamm
In the windowless classroom, the tallest nun screeches at the
pink in our hair, at our lips, pinched until they seem lipsticked.
We’re always hungry but the yellow cake makes us sleepy,
suspicious. In the bathroom, we light matches to see who can
hold the flame in her palm the longest. We pass notes about
becoming nothing -- an invisible eye in an empty seat, calculating,
purring. Some carve ANARCHEE in each other’s shoulders with
sharpened pencils: see how the blood seeps into her ivory blouse,
see the patterns it makes under her book bag, her jacket. Tell
me how it feels for you. In the dark, we share dreams about saints,
picking the parts of ourselves to sacrifice: eyes, tongues, breasts.
Confession: nothing hurts in quite the right way. Snowdays, we
grab holly branches that sting and close our eyes, hoping for wings.
pink in our hair, at our lips, pinched until they seem lipsticked.
We’re always hungry but the yellow cake makes us sleepy,
suspicious. In the bathroom, we light matches to see who can
hold the flame in her palm the longest. We pass notes about
becoming nothing -- an invisible eye in an empty seat, calculating,
purring. Some carve ANARCHEE in each other’s shoulders with
sharpened pencils: see how the blood seeps into her ivory blouse,
see the patterns it makes under her book bag, her jacket. Tell
me how it feels for you. In the dark, we share dreams about saints,
picking the parts of ourselves to sacrifice: eyes, tongues, breasts.
Confession: nothing hurts in quite the right way. Snowdays, we
grab holly branches that sting and close our eyes, hoping for wings.
Christine Hamm's Bio:
Professor, social worker and student of ecopoetics, Christine Hamm has a PhD in English, and lives in New Jersey. She recently won the Tenth Gate prize from Word Works for her manuscript, Gorilla. She has had work featured in North American Review, Nat Brut, Painted Bride Quarterly and many others. She has published six chapbooks, and several books -- including Saints & Cannibals.
Professor, social worker and student of ecopoetics, Christine Hamm has a PhD in English, and lives in New Jersey. She recently won the Tenth Gate prize from Word Works for her manuscript, Gorilla. She has had work featured in North American Review, Nat Brut, Painted Bride Quarterly and many others. She has published six chapbooks, and several books -- including Saints & Cannibals.
