A girl sits at a table
staring at her plate of food.
It’s empty, and so is she.
Cracks run along her skin
exposing the dark hollow space
within her, fracturing her body like porcelain.

Opposite her sits a boy
gazing across the room
but only seeing another face.
His hands quake as they reach out
while parts of his body flicker and morph.
For a moment, the printed words are visible
upon his flesh, reading “need” and “desire.”

Between the two sits another girl
river-like hair spilling over her limbs
She glances either way and sighs
concern for others distracting her from her own burdens
Her locks change like grass thrown into a flame
turning ashen, as she matures early.

At the doorway stands a woman
skin steaming and swelling
she can only watch the three children
as the pressure expands inside her.