I regress through feelings of my girlhood, like a
woman healing. My shame hadn’t felt dirty
in so long, but my new dance moves mimic
clawing at my face, and I’m finally saving for the
teddy bear the house fire took away. Old raging

songs resurge, swallowing passive bitterness,
because I don’t want anything I haven’t
given to myself anymore. My body’s
sad layers surface while shedding, now that
they’re not getting buried beneath a score.