Clenched

Amanda Poteete

 

Sunburnt lips, cracking underneath the smile
Smiling, and hopeless—
at the same time
a heart torn in two,
Shadowed pieces of twin halves
Shattered open
Grudgingly, she turned around
And one by one she stretched
Each finger
Hands finally open from a clenched fist
Summoning her dignity
She let go
And walked away