Teeming

By KateLin Carsrud

Woman like          gold afternoon     sun       like
           sky                so blue         content but   so blue
              crying so much
Woman like                little girl         playing running laughing
          happy child                           carefree
          like free of care               meaning           having no care
          meaning wanting                        to stay in            bed all day
          dark shades            lights off                                  dark
Woman like          tired bones              heavy breasts
Woman like           worried                trying to not                    worry
     trying               but mom                 trying               but dad sister sister brother
still trying
Woman like                     full woman         woman holding
           planting marigolds          sisters digging                       rosemary bread
           daughter            spitting image      small toes

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KateLin Carsrud is a graduate student in the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her work has appeared in Baltimore-based literary magazine JMMW, MEDICINE AND MEANING, and EQUINOX, where she was awarded the 2019 David Jauss Prize for Fiction. She has poetry in THE CLOSED EYE OPEN and NINE CLOUD JOURNAL. Her artwork appears in the sex-positive magazine THROATS TO THE SKY. She has forthcoming work in WEASEL PRESS, and OFIC MAGAZINE.