"Heavy Burden" by Sierra July, Frequent Contributor

Heavy Burden

When her skin grew too heavy

She shed it off

Particles of tax and doubt

Grains of regret

Whisked into space at the brush

Of her fingers

--Sierra July

Poet's Notes: Picturing how snakes shed their skin, and thinking of how crabs leave their old shells behind for bigger, greater ones, I thought it would be neat if humans could do the same. Instead of making it literally about losing skin, changing clothes, or moving house, I wrote about easily releasing burdens with the whisk of a hand. I didn't state anywhere in the poem that the 'she' mentioned is human though, since I thought it would be just as interesting if a reader interpreted the subject as a space alien or some other creature with fingers.