Snakeskin by Emmanuella Demosthenes
Snakeskin
You are not a snake.
You are simply a woman, living in skin that you cannot shed
Each time that you pick, it makes me want to grab your hands
Break your fingers,
Dislodge them from your knuckles
So I can replace them with cotton,
Or peaches, or something so baby-soft
That you aren’t able to pick your precious skin again
I know I cannot ease this pain you feel
This ever-present urge to pick
But I hope that I can offer you a reason to stay
Or a place to hold your pain
Emmanuella is a poet based in North Central Massachusetts. Her work can be found in Route 2 and Kalyani Magazine.