small sprouts of life 
you peek your small heads 
from the home of my skin 
ankles sprayed with the salt of New Jersey ocean 
knees scraped by rough pavement as I disjoined from my purple tricycle
​feet stung by a honey bee hiding from his friends in a clover patch unwanted 
you emerge 
our daily engagement features 
my sharp blades chopping your heads 
only those smaller than the blade live to tell the tale 
growing darker and coarser with resentment 
blond hair replaced by brown 
thriving on oral history 
you tell the future generations 
of the monster I become 

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Anne Mares is a rising senior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.