by Valentina Cano

I remember that night, last year.
The night I swallowed illness in one breath,
letting it knit itself into my organs.
Engrave itself on my bones.
I would have taken any ending, then,
anything that would have turned my head
into spare parts,
but settled for a pudding cup
and a trembling computer screen,
instead.

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. Her works have appeared in numerous publications and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Her debut novel, The Rose Master, will be published in 2014.