It starts with a deep breath, repositioning
the self with fists on the bed,
the knowledge
that I’m clenching— a sigh
with the legs apart,
the face softened, the nose
itching,
and the fingers searching
for words. It doesn’t have to be
poetic, I just have to

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Kristin Yates is an award-winning work in progress from Lewisville, North Carolina. Her poems have previously appeared in her head and other places. IG: https://www.instagram.com/beautefantasy/