Blank Page

Original photography by Emma Shattuck

BY: Emma Shattuck, Ionia High School

​Blank page,
then it’s grease stained,
then you’re putting the finishing touches on your mistakes-
holding the pen this way you find,
you can’t re-bathe in holy water,
repenting sins to your mother.
I don’t think an unkind person should go to Heaven.
I meant to say, “I’m smart but impulsive,”
making beauty out of the ordinary,
finding the dirt under my fingernails more interesting than my studies.
Using black ink to go over the red letters because you don’t want your momma to think-
you haven’t slowed down-
since the parties,
red eyes pouring over the blue lines,
you’ve made it right back to where you started.
I meant to say, “I’m not finishing but just starting.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emma is a senior at Ionia High School and works as a writer for school's online newspaper as well as works as an editor for this here magazine. She has also published the poem "Bird Talk" with MIteen Writers.

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