“The thinner it is carved the more translucent it becomes.” –Heather White

We began like peeling cucumbers,
all we needed were simple tools,
falling in love in a kitchen.
I trusted you, a spade bit,
to drill holes in me to accommodate
your fingers.
Slowly you carved me, removing layers.
For years you used
calipers to measure my widening love:
18, then 20 gauge.
But when you dissolved
we became nothing, a pile of shavings.
You drilled holes in me
in outbursts, until I had to
hide from you, conceal my row
of pearls—those doors
I had not previously opened.
That 18 karat gold
I never unpacked.

Source: The Penland Book of Jewelry, Pages 101-102

Maureen O’Brien lives in Connecticut where she teaches Creative Writing to teenagers who love doing Blackout Poems: she draws endless inspiration from their passions, enthusiasm, and beautiful hearts. She is the author of the novel “B-mother” and the poetry chapbook “The Other Cradling”.  Her work has most recently appeared in Blink Ink, Hello Humans and 3Elements Review.