POETRY: AKSHI CHADHA

EPITAPH
 
I should’ve known when I was born
my palm lines were light and cut short
if I walk the beach I walk the line
cadavers and shards shore against my feet
 
I saw on the news
a white man brought a snowball in court
admit into evidence our invincibility, we’ll live
I’ve been chewing on plastic since
 
too old for faith, too young to die
follow smeared geese shit on the sidewalk to Neverland
each day the red sun goes into the drying ocean and I ask:
will you come back for me?
 
is it funny or tragic?
we will all end up sharing one tombstone
here lies a monumental collection of fuck-ups
 
ask me then, oh neighboring bones
where have I been and where did
I really come from. 

Akshi Chadha is a writer based in London, Ontario, Canada. She is pursuing an Honors Specialization in English Language and Creative Writing at Western University. Her work has previously been published in The Roadrunner Review, Symposium, and SNAPS. She is committed to addressing issues surrounding race, climate change, and feminism through her writing.