I have scrubbed
blood from
underwear
off bathroom
floors and seats
hidden my
spotted backside
at dinner parties
with sweaters
watched the red
current rush down
the shower drain
too frequently
to care about
your upturned
nose when she
stains your white
couch I mean
I can always bleed
on everything
you love
period
Arika Elizenberry is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. She was an assistant poetry editor at Helen: A Literary Magazine. Some of her favorite writers include Dorothy Parker, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and Lucille Clifton. Her work has appeared in journals such as Thrush, Burningword Literary Journal, and Neon Dreams as well as in six anthologies. She graduated with her B.A. in English from NSC in 2020.