Prayers to St. Catherine

Simone Person

He says none of what I remember is true, that I’m just greedy 

for revenge. Blessed Catherine, I would give everything to be my own practiced cage. 

Failsafe back to who I was. Abandon my grief-split howling.

                                                //

I admit, I rejoice in hunger’s choir. Practice the ugly math of body, 

devout notations on violence badly built into skin. I know I’ve reared a terrible throne, 

but it’s the last thing left that’s only mine, and I can’t give up more of my dead.

                                                //

            Have I overindulged on penance? Make this mouth grave,

humble dirge, blessed ruin—I just want to do it right. At night, I burn 

my hair down to scalp, but it returns every dawn-dark.

                                                //

I’m bloated with memory. Knowledge-bitter that men’s proud rage

is my lonely heirloom. I could fill my whole house with the wrong ways I’ve been loved. 

Always target practice. The thing he leveled. I have no choice but to empty.

Simone Person is a Black queer femme and two-time Pink Door Writing Retreat fellow. They are the author of Dislocate, the prose winner of the 2017 Honeysuckle Press Chapbook Contest, and Smoke Girl, the poetry winner of the 2018 Diode Editions Chapbook Contest. Simone grew up in small Michigan towns and Toledo, Ohio. They can be found at simoneperson.com.