Respond to 2025: the gates of colesworth

the gates of colesworth

it was easier. to trail aisles. taking what you needed. buns are just so grabbable. sausage so easy to pass off. when bulging. i check expiry dates and claim the soon to be unworthy. in my clutches. silencing their shivering rattle. with too tight hugs. nine times i circle the border. greeting each eye. as they track and take stock. swearing by the water. while i feed this current. and toe the line. between death and immortality. nectar and poison. She is the river. and all I can do is hold on tight. to my unanswered prayers. as i rock the boat. before She stood at the helm. goodness was more than a green light of approval. it was human. an inviolable rule. at Her side. i swore we were worth more. now, we pay to win. transaction completed. and She doesn’t touch me the way She used to. just opens. i’m a book with an attractive cover. even after running Her hands over me. smelling the rot under my collar. Her body still pries open. with a sharp smile. i pass through. and still feel whole. despite my nerves hanging like a garland in aisle three. survival is a sacrifice.

Sarah Birch (they/she) is a Boorloo writer and is currently undertaking their Master of Arts at Curtin University. Sarah has been published in Cordite, Artery, Damsel and Pulch, to name a few. When not headbutting a keyboard, Sarah is either doomscrolling or loving so much it aches.