Numerous times I
hacked off my sharp edges
carved myself into a new person
sanded my skin till it was smooth
But it was never enough
The two-dimensional shape you wanted me to squeeze into
changed constantly
son
stranger
brother
daughter
I couldn’t keep up
It was a game to you
a slow grinding
down
of character with the hope
I would become a ghost
This self-fulfilling prophesy came true
for a short time
I floated through life
breaking, reshaping, remaking myself
Only when I reached my limit
did I see your
sharp teeth
jagged edges
I asked you to change for me
You masked your face
made no alterations
so I walked away
and never looked back
About the author
Alexander Te Pohe is a Māori writer. They mostly write YA fiction and angsty poetry and almost always have a book/poem/article/essay brewing. They founded Ruru Reads, a website dedicated to publishing work by People of Colour and Indigenous people. You can find them on Twitter.