The Tightening

by Olivia Austin

Image credit: engin akyurt on Unsplash

How sweet, the words we write-

Under tinted sun of gray.

Sons of sons, unborn but ready

To tell us our crimes.

A glancing breath,

The total of self-ellipses our tongue

And dies.

Water, undropped.

Every word around is tightening,

Crown worn at our throats.

To be given an empty life

Is the truth we cannot accept.

These words will never touch the page-

And unspeaking our mouths move

In silence.

***

Olivia Austin

Olivia Austin is an 18-year-old from Maine. She has been published in the online magazines Literally Stories, The Howl, and Suburban Witchcraft Magazine. Olivia is looking forward to attending Connecticut College and hopes to continue writing throughout her life.