They were saying words, I think
Though I couldn’t be sure
I forgot what words meant, forgot how to speak
Couldn’t say anything except for
One question. Why me?
Two words. Why me
Three letters. Y M E
No other words because there are no words

in

float . . . . g

Just . . . . . . . . . llett

er

s tha

t fa

ll

gen

tly

t . . h e n crashintoeachotherunexpectedlyand

PL

X . .   . letters strewn everywhere

E . . . . . .      . all around me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O

  chaotic abandon . . . . DE

I picked up the ones I recognised

Y

M

. . E

I kept them close
I soon learnt that if you rearrange them they spell

devastation desolation isolation

There’s not much else you can do with them, Y M E
In time, I realised my letters must be broken
for they only knew how to spell broken words
I threw them away and started again

Steph Lum

 

Listen to Steph reading ‘In the doctor’s rooms’ (1:13)

 

 

Steph Lum is an emerging poet and intersex human rights advocate. Steph recently founded and edited YOUth&I, an anthology of poetry, writings and artwork by young intersex people.

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