Why must I break my heart to feed the page?
When famished, its white lips curse and quiver.
Its bread- the sorrow wedged between nodes.
Its wine- the wails of a hundred thousand beats.
But who am I to deny my source of refuge?
So daily I must corrupt the chambers and slash the vessels.
But when the beating muscle has been ripped apart,
Do I cry out with hot indignation? Sweet relief?
What then can show me how to feel?
And at that moment, I’m led back to the page.
For I must feel, visually-
By looking towards the mangled pieces of my heart
Scattered across the full-mouthed sheet.
And only in them can I find my refuge.
Jody Adeyemo is a third-year Biology student at Cornell University. She was born in Ibadan,
Nigeria, but spent much of her adolescence in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she developed her
love for seafood and Zydeco music. As a 1st-generation Nigerian living in the south, she often
struggled to find footing. She then turned to the page to provide her with a platform. At ten, her
first story was published in the French fiction section of the “Louisiana Writes” annual writing
contest. Her short stories and poems often center around fictional characters and plots, with
pieces of her identity weaved in. As a hopeful future physician, she enjoys incorporating medical
terminology and imagery. Overall, she hopes to reveal a bit of her story in each piece.
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