Inventory

Jasmine Ledesma

I have a porcelain box living on my desk. It has eaten
a shard, a copper wound necklace, nicorette stored
like bullets and a bundle of newspaper written in
pointed korean. I went to the store earlier, my head
wrapped in a plastic bag. The line to the cashier was
long as saliva, everybody blue and nervous, holding
fat babies and milk and bibles. I held a singular box
of tuna. With all of the skinny bones still intact, of course.
I waited in line like death row. The cashier called me
babe and I said nothing. When I got back home, I
ripped the curtains open. I have a porcelain box living
on my desk. And tuna. And now, all of this light.

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Jasmine Ledesma can be found twitching in New York. Her work can be found in places such as Maudlin House and Waxing&Waning. She recently won the John Costello Award in creative nonfiction.