can I induce apoptosis?

do I have to wait seven years for

his fingerprints to dissolve?

I want these cells dead but
I surrender
my timid flesh

because I do not
have a choice.

as he rubs me–
raw with his finger
nails &

gnaws my membrane the quiver of

my dermis persists.

I try to resist–
insisted infection

& fight off this bacterial pest.

shedding cells–

fall, please.

First published in Red Queen Literary Magazine

By Julia Merante

Biography:

Julia Merante is entering her Junior year at SUNY Geneseo, in upstate New York. She is an English major, with a creative writing concentration. She also has a biology minor, as well as a human development minor. Her goal after college is to earn her MFA. She is a truly emerging writer. With no submissions ever made, she in turn has had no publications. However, she did work as a Poetry Reader on the SUNY-wide literary magazine known as Gandy Dancer. In her free time, she enjoys her waitressing job, travelling, and watching movies with her mom. She appreciates your time and consideration in reviewing her work, and is excited to see where poetry can take her.