Inside Out by L. Marie Wood
Inside out
what’s inside bared to the air
tender to the touch
red and slick
hothouse musk.
Voice loud my mind
Loud in the sky
Loud
Because it can be
Private for me
but I’m flayed for the world to see.
Open cavity.
Open skull.
Open mind.
Open shell.
A husk to be filled with your words
your thoughts
your wants
your desires
you
you
you alone
you whole
you bold.
Of me there’s no consequence.
Of me there’s no gain.
All taken with the edge of the blade lain to cut
to sever,
to shave my essence away.
Inside out.
On the couch
on the bed
in my head
on the plane
inside my brain
Insane, I go but nobody knows
Because red is read as red is plain
Nothing to gain from acknowledging my pain.
Nothing
again.
Author’s Statement
For some, the world is always a challenge to navigate, but the past few years have made merely existing an effort in self-control, patience, and grace. This poem strives to put on paper the turmoil that one can feel when marginalized and exposed in the consistent manner that comes with being part of ‘insert group here’. My hope is that anyone who reads this and feels a connection to the emotion knows they are not alone. L. Marie Wood
About L. Marie Wood
Celebrated psychological horror author L. Marie Wood is the winner of multiple awards including the Bram Stoker Award®, the Golden Stake Award for Literature, and the International Impact Book Award. She is also a MICO Award-winning screenwriter, an Elgin Award finalist poet, an accomplished essayist, and a playwright. Wood is the Vice President of the Horror Writers Association, the founder of the Speculative Fiction Academy, an English and Creative Writing professor, as well as a horror scholar. Learn more at www.lmariewood.com.