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SARAH BRANCH
Alone
She clouded
Cracked windows with smoke
To calm the anxiety
And to allow rest
When sleep had begun
To deprave her of herself
She found
Late nights to be as sweet as cereal milk
And early mornings to be as bitter as the
fresh lime in her drink
She finally
Dreamt of traveling home
Of searching for remedies
Within her blood and her bones
So
She dreamt
Her mother brought her
Boiled water for serenity
And mint leaves for concentration
And orange peel for empathy
And cinnamon sticks for patience
And
She dreamt
Her mother drew her baths
With Epson salts for cleansing
And lilac for fragrance
And skylights for visibility
And bowls of Merlot for warmth
And
She dreamt
Her mother told stories
Of melanin for strength
And estrogen for resilience
And coconut oil for ambition
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