Traces

they didn\t tell me til she\d died
      what she\d done
but what she\d done couldn\t really be called incest
cause that might mean maybe they both wanted to

but you      can\t want to when someone is
in an authoritative role

                say like your aunt or something

you can\t want to when

they are      older than you

you cAN\T want to when

they know it\s wrong but you\re young & afraid
when they have sons they\d never want that done to

you can\t want to when you are too scared to know

that women do rape
and men              can be

when you don\t wanna say cause you don\t want it to be real
you can\t want to and it won\t heal you

to know she is dead
to know she got rid of herself
maybe cause                the guilt
maybe cause     the pain
to know her secrets didn\t go to her grave
dust devils stirred up cause absence made them safe

maybe her ashes blew away in the storm
               just meaningless filth
      skimming the wind

or maybe now
they have drawings in them
of a little stick boy
too hurt and scared to say
and a lot of adults standing \round him
too afraid to be right



Justene Dion-Glowa is a bi, emerging poet out of BC, Canada. She owns her own restaurant with her partner. She is a vegan and animal rescue parent. Her work can be found in issue 2 of Fevers of the Mind Poetry & Art Digest. Tweets at: @gee_justy Instagram: @jdgwrites Website: jdgwrites.wixsite.com/home

Banner Image by Robert Frede Kenter @frede_kenter