our rot
a phallic symbol of death
nudges me to get out while i still can.
biting and kicking below the surface.
gnawing on life so ferally
until my dolphin smile is kicked in.
the days used to be an idyllic heaven.
red cadillac seats covered in sticky sweat.
the peaches were always ripe.
my insides still smelled like lavender.
i was an angel until i screamed.
now i think something is rotting
from the inside out.
maybe there was something wrong.
an unfixable thing deep under my flesh.
but you said that’s how it is out west.
everything is dying if it isn’t already dead.
so, yes, you are well on your way.
rotting from the inside out.
Audrey Redmond is a student studying theater and creative writing at Purchase College. Her writing stems from a place of love for human connections and all the weird, grotesque parts of life that often go unnoticed.