Idia Enoma
the milkweed to a monarch is crucial, Prose
/ maybe because you are to me what milkweed is to a monarch / maybe because when i call your name out wild & hungry the doves rush to the feeder / maybe because hope is a mouthful of deciduous teeth gnawing at the gum / maybe because hurt is proof of life & we cannot afford to swallow the sky / maybe because every kiss is a crescendo & i am tired of swan lake / maybe because skin is only one door of many / maybe because the feathers in your throat are scratching at my ribs / maybe because you left the lights on & the linens tangled / maybe because it is my instinct to gather what you leave behind / maybe because sometimes i want to rip open your spine of petals & see what bleeds / maybe
Bio: Idia Enoma is a 17-year-old writer, native to New York. Her work has been recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and has appeared in Blue Marble Review and Eunoia Review. She is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania’s Kelly Writers House Summer Workshop and a former editor of Girls Right the World magazine. Aside from writing, Idia is perfecting two-round Wordle streaks and the ideal cup of tea.