Ernestine

the lottery of names // a graveyard // I breathe half-love into my childhood moniker // three-sided in meaning // 1. serious 2. having a sincere spirit 3. battle to the death

I’m still deconstructing // unspooling thread // my petal flesh // torn // Mom almost named me Meryl // after a moss-covered tombstone // "bright sea" // disoriented // squinting at the sun

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Note: "Ernestine" first appeared in The Renaissance Review Issue IV