Broken Pieces
swallowed whole
Sometimes I have
everything to say
but nothing at all
comes out.
The letters get stuck
in my teeth,
cut my gums.
I chew them up
swallow them whole.
Bitter pieces, sharp
and catching
as they burn
and churn
all the way
down
down
down.
Pushing on my abdomen,
cutting off my screams,
begging to be released.
But there they sit.
Stewing.
Aching.
Accusing.
My mouth pulls wide
daring them to
spill out.
Only bubbles
of acid
and bile
rise to the top.
Because I know
I cannot say them,
those words that
will make it better,
the words
that will set me free.
The truth is not easy;
it's ugly and beautiful,
Life-changing.
But I'm not ready yet
to say–
'I'm leaving.'
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
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Comments (49)
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This is a style of poetry I hope to achieve one day soon. Perhaps I'll try for the current challenge.
Incredible, I'm feeling so connected to this poem. I admire the way that you captured the urgency and the hesitation that we often fall into. You have a gift Heather, thank you for sharing it.
This is beautiful
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Absolutely stunning. The imagery you create is so vivid to the point my throat started to hurt (or is that because I’m getting a cold?)
I did not know where that was going I started off thinking it was about writers block-good poem
Beautiful
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Well done. Congrats on top story. U inspire me!
Nice work 👍
Once again you bring such beauty through words. An amazing gift
This resonated so much with me, well-done! This is so beautiful and relatable.
Beautifully written.
Lovely
Great job Heather...very heartfelt.. congrats on getting the top story!!
love this one …
Beautiful! Congrats on the Top Story!
Congratulations on the Top Story Heather. Good Job!!!
Beautiful.
Oh yes, this one hits home.
These are my two favorite lines "The letters get stuck in my teeth, cut my gums." "Only bubbles of acid and bile rise to the top."
❤️🫶🏾😉Relatable!
This was a very intense poem and so relatable!