it is rumored that
this man
swallows girls.
he says he likes the
crunch of a femur,
the salt of a breast
that is just beginning
to bloom,
says the girls
never scream
when he takes
the first bite.
his belly, over time,
has grown round
with elbows and
the sockets of blue eyes;
he swallows each
joint, each rib,
wipes his chin,
asks for more.
in time,
no girls remain,
they are all
inside of him,
and he is hungry
still.
—
kick.
kick. kick.
the stomach rips
open. a tumble of
curls and laughter,
elbows locked.
Rebecca Zaritsky is a high school student from New Jersey. She attends a magnet high school, where she specializes in the study of medical science and technology, and hopes to study medicine. She is the daughter of USSR immigrants, and in her free time, Rebecca loves to run, write, and do competitive mathematics.
