Growing stripes.
Vertical like the feelings that never left leave
water-sized marks on the hills of my cheeks.
Growing in vain.
Still reminiscing on yesterday, please somebody come lie with me.
There are no fresh starts – only leaves.
Concave bulge simile.
Normal bodies on easy street, phase out
like the clear sky. Fire flies directly over me.
New size, turn and see. Fresh eyes watch. Stay longer and wade with me.
I no longer fit in my summer belly’s jeans.
The weight of the world sits in me. Fall’s belly grows and the leaves all leave.
This post is brought to you by
How to Stop the Burning
by Zubaida Bello
In How to Stop the Burning, Zubaida Bello’s poetry focuses on themes of womanhood and inheritance, offering the audience an intimate portrait of herself through her words.
About The Author
Kehinde Winful is a second year law student who writes at 1am between studying and sleep. She is a music and water enthusiast and enjoys telling jokes that are sometimes funny. Kehinde writes both poetry and fiction and has recently finished writing her first novel.
Bandit Fiction is an entirely not-for-profit organisation ran by passionate volunteers. We do our best to keep costs low, but we rely on the support of our readers and followers to be able to do what we do. The best way to support us is by purchasing one of our back issues. All issues are ‘pay what you want’, and all money goes directly towards paying operational costs.
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