Author Archives: LeanaLemon

This is a photograph of her

It was taken some time last night.
At first it seems to be,
a filtered,
insta snap: lines blurred with Valencia.
Four girls, night out.

Then, as you scan
it, you see smiles brightened with filters
shiny hair, tanned skin perfect angels, all part of the
(well-conceived lie) emerging,
their bodies twisted to the right,
hiding places of insecurity and body
shame, keeping-up with the appearances.

In the background there are her acquaintances,
Followers, likers, but not her friends.

(This photo was taken,
the day after she drowned.

She is in the lake, in the center
Of her followers, deep under their screens.

It is hard to say when
exactly, or to say
how, she lost herself online:
the effect of likes
on her is a distortion

but if you look long enough,
eventually
you may see her unedited, unfiltered, self.)

Leana Lemon

Pig Baby

Alongside the hugest dog,

the soundless newborn baby

sleepless, wordless, a bouncing bundle of burps.

Burped loud, like a well fed, pot bellied pig, rolling happily in the mud.

Pigs are always fat.

Yet they roam and roam.

From room to room, brutish Bill and hilarious Bryan

both ran over the river and through the woods

when they were being chased.

“Call the police!”

Exclaimed the teacher.

More special than his birthday gift.

Lemon poetry close reading

Stranger on the train

I sit,
in stone cold stillness.
Even my breath seems to stay within the invisible bubble I have created around me.
My hands,
they fold neatly on top of my thighs,
which are pressed together so tightly they have become one.

I am breathing,
but my breaths are short and stiff
Labour breaths minus the noise.
And the labour.

My eyes.
Focused dead ahead.
Unwavering. Un-easy.

I have judged you.
We all have judged you.

No not YOU
The exterior of you.

From the moment you walked through those sliding doors,
you feel it too.

You sit on the edge of the seat.
You try to make the invisible bubble around you,
stop the people from staring,
from grimacing,
from gratifying themselves that they
are not sitting beside you.

You get off at the next stop.
My bubble is broken.
But so is yours.

:

Eat with your elbows off the table
Eat with your fork pointed down

Eat with your mouth closed
Eat only in between conversation or questions

Eat slowly
Eat smaller mouthfuls

Eat so that you don’t spill
Eat everything on your plate

There for the grace of God go I.

… But why?