Inside Out by L. Marie Wood
Inside out what’s inside bared to the air tender to the touch red and slick hothouse musk. Voice loud my mind Loud in the sky Loud Because it can be Private for me but I’m flayed for the world to see. Open cavity. Open skull. Open mind. Open shell. A husk to be filled with your words your thoughts your wants your desires you you you alone you whole you bold. Of me there’s no consequence. Of me there’s no gain. All taken with the edge of the blade lain to cut to sever, to shave my essence away. Inside out. On the couch on the bed in my head on the plane inside my brain Insane, I go but nobody knows Because red is read as red is plain Nothing to gain from acknowledging my pain. Nothing again.Author’s Statement
For some, the world is always a challenge to navigate, but the past few years have made merely existing an effort in self-control, patience, and grace. This poem strives to put on paper the turmoil that one can feel when marginalized and exposed in the consistent manner that comes with being part of ‘insert group here’. My hope is that anyone who reads this and feels a connection to the emotion knows they are not alone. L. Marie Wood
About L. Marie Wood
Celebrated psychological horror author L. Marie Wood is the winner of multiple awards including the Bram Stoker Award®, the Golden Stake Award for Literature, and the International Impact Book Award. She is also a MICO Award-winning screenwriter, an Elgin Award finalist poet, an accomplished essayist, and a playwright. Wood is the Vice President of the Horror Writers Association, the founder of the Speculative Fiction Academy, an English and Creative Writing professor, as well as a horror scholar. Learn more at www.lmariewood.com.