Tara Robinson

the days are getting shorter, and
my dreams are sullied with heavy forewarning
of the violence winter will carry
as tender in its arms as a newborn—
visions of my teeth cracking
like milky porcelain
and falling out into my hands
which are almost always bloodstained
my sleep is laced with the feeling that something is coming to get me
that I need to hide
need to hibernate
need to crawl into a cave with the carrion I’ve collected and a handful of bone coloured pills
to sleep until it’s over
and spring comes again.
I’m dreaming of the house with dusty windowsills and
a garden of tombstones
where the ghost of my past lover resides
where he leaves me
again and again and again
and I cry not at his absence but at
how he didn’t even look back at me once
the cold is creeping in again, and
the air burns my nostrils like a blue flame
the pale backs of my hands
are streaked with red but
bloodletting has never frightened me,
it dribbles over my cupids bow and
under my chin like wine
sacrifices are sacred when they taste this sweet
a ritual as ancient and sacrilegious as god,
I spill my blood as an offering
in the hopes that this winter will not be as cruel as the last
that the hurting will not consume me
that I will not have to hide for long
make this suffering count
let me survive it
Author: Tara Robinson is a 22 year old writer who is enamoured with poetry. She is enthralled by anything relating to gore, melodrama, female rage, nostalgia, the mother wound, love, death and religion. She is currently enrolled in her first year of Fine Arts (Creative Writing). You can find her on Instagram @spacenang.
Artist: Emma Bruce is a multi-disciplinary visual artist from Yugambeh country working out of Meanjin. Her work discusses the relationship modern society has with the environment through an archival style in hopes to preserve the experience of being in the natural world. Her work hopes to invite her audience to partake in activities that nurture native flora and fauna as well as create a sense of pride to be part of it.
Editors: Brock Scholte and Breeh Botsford