I want to be soft
around the edges
Blue skies filled with coffee
lady bugs dancing in my heart
stomach full of butterflies
Swirling around my lungs made of paper
Soft
Soft
Soft like the words whispered into the night
‘I dont wanna be made of stone’
Begging
the gods
Praying
to the moon
the stars
the sun
To whoever fucking listens
Praying, saying
I want to be soft around the edges
Soft around the edges sharp in the heart
One day
it’ll all be gone
Rumbling from the bottom
Shaking from above
Waves rising to meet their reflection in the glass buildings
Grounds rhythm matching the heart’s
And I’ll be laying among flowers and tree roots
All of me taken by the mother of the ground
Reuniting of old lovers: conclusion of the cycle
And when worms make home between my ribcages
and the skin tissue is kissed away by time
I’ll remember the warmth of the sun; full content
I’ll remember the grass blades I pulled out; my hand green
the blades carried by wind
softly whispering
Kitchen floor
I wish I could cut my head open And let it bleed out all my thoughts all my fears all the ways you made me feel resting on the cold tile like a 1000 piece puzzle I never had the reference picture for lost between jagged edges and bloodied words I will build myself a new soul
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Ayla Bayli
Ayla Bayli (She/her) is a poet based everywhere; coming to you from in between planes and bedroom corners. her work has been published in magazines such as Snowflake Magazine, MiniMag, Trash to Treasure Lit and her university’s Creative Society Zine. You can find her work and reading list @bayliwrites.