Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq

Author:Tanya Tagaq
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Canada
Published: 2018-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

THAT TIME

Your skinny legs and bucked teeth

Gave no hint of your scathing bravado

Even the Big Girls were afraid of you,

steering clear

of your sudden slaps and rigid kicks

I watched you pull on two pairs of pants

to hide your frail toothpick legs

while you told me you’d kick me in the cunt

if I ever fucked with you

You told me your mom told you

to stand up for yourself

no matter what

Even though you only reached our chins

you stood up for me too

That Time

in the Summer Midnight I wanted to be brave

like you

So we stole my parents’ quad

and opened the gas tank to breathe in

The excitement

The iridescence

The speed

We crashed into the church

after getting drunk on the wind

As you lay motionless I found out what prayer was

begging that you breathe again

That Time

we lost our hash in the musk-ox rug

and laughed until we were crying

Biting into orange rinds just because

the citrus blew our minds

That Time

We shared men without jealousy

and shared our love secretly

Then my time came to protect you

the night he wanted you but

you didn’t want him back

I threw him down the stairs

and I finally felt strong enough for you

That Time we made love

after you grew up so beautifully

Our Secret Summer

I visited you once in adulthood

you had moved South

Where the trees

breathe in salt water

I watched your children breathing in

salt water too

The Ocean dancing in their eyes

instead of Ice

Then you died inexplicably

Buck-toothed girl

I hope you reached peace

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