by Arely Morales
Artwork, “Charcoal Owl” by Alexa Gaffaney
i purge my body
two, sometimes three times a day
i stare down and wait
turning on the shower helps hide the disease
the process takes about twenty minutes
the more the toothbrush goes in, the more comes out
my eyes turn bloodshot from the jabbing
i ignore how yellow my teeth turn
with one shove a whole day’s worth can be gone
the more i see, the better
colors depend on the day
spinach green or a mocha drink
deep tomato red or a milkshake
certain foods turn smoother than others
i don’t mind the textures, i got used to it
any knock and i panic
but that doesn’t stop me
it’s something i must do
it makes me have
the best of both worlds
