- Natasha Devalia
Bat / Crack of light
By Natasha Devalia

Crack of light
Can I be she who sees
not the breaks,
but the light
which peeps through the cracks?
Can I be she who waits
for beauty to unfold
at its own undying pace?
Can I be she who uproots
herself, because that
is the seed of bearing fruit?
But to be uprooted is a heavy penance,
cracks; lifelines, worn as medals.
Bat
It used to be
numb
inside me
until
It ripped free,
the bat
imprisoned
within me
leathery
skin
split ribs
tear free
wings flap
night tree
new moon
over sea