Dandelion Wine
​Hisako Rogers


she wears flowers on her fingers to remind her

that water spirits dont protect them from drinking their lives away

it was simply imitation

like when she would pretend to be a wizard

after finding magic books on the shelves

her mother would be far too proud

but at least shes not starving herself

her brother has proven the boys arent immune

he hasnt eaten right since he stopped liking blue

her cheeks are left with kiss marks

and her brother holds his breath a lot

the same way she holds her liquor

not very well but they do it anyway

she tried sewing forget me nots into the space between her veins

because the flowers wont grow right

if they cant become a part of her

dandelions are blooming in her throat

pastel roses wrapping themselves around her central nervous system

they write i love yous on the back of her brain

but pump poison into her cells
 
 
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