My Starving // My Sister

by Michaela Zelie

At dinner on Tuesday, my sister said I wonder how long

I can go without eating. I realized it had been too long

since I had seen her. I slipped my fingers into hers

 

and whispered, I tried to find out once and it burned

holes into me bigger than the ones I was attempting

to starve. She blurs out her face in the Instagram upload

 

and says she just likes the effect but everything about

her disappearing act is staring into my eyes. The caption

reads I knew it wasn’t meant to be, but oh well. She says

 

its just a quote I found, it doesn’t mean anything, shrugging

shoulders heavy with hopelessness and for the first time in

14 years she asks me to lay beside her, begins to speak

 

cautiously, every one of my friends has been kissed but not

me and I tell her kissing is fun until it isn’t anymore,

don’t rush it. I’m not even sure I know what I mean

 

but I remember the first boy who kissed me and every single

one since and how I thought they would fix a brokenness

now present in her. Whatever, she rolls her eyes on the word.

 

About the Author:

 

Michaela Zelie is a senior creative writing major at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is particularly interested in poetry, and poetic non-fiction. After graduation she plans to pursue mentoring and teaching writing.