Rat-a-Tat-Tat
Backed into a
She came at me her ammunition slick silvery words silver slivers splinters shards to puncture with which to punch spill blood to wound a fraction of who we are I am the broken to fracture factions facts (matter) feline tiger ice-water syllables slice my ear drum rat rat-a-tat-tat attack The urge to yell back To stoke to stoke to stoke the frenzied fire to cry uncle to say I give I give up to say I will but not before We say slippery sorries that seduce the saber and now And now The moment is broken rat-a-tat-tat and I am still
Backed into a
Jessica Klimesh is a US-based editor and proofreader who works with academic, technical, and creative writers. She holds an MA in English from Bowling Green State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Cedar Crest College. Her short fiction has appeared in The Mark Literary Review, Briefly Write, and Backchannels. Additionally, at the beginning of 2021, her 10-word microstory made the shortlist for Briefly Write's inaugural "Write 10, Win 10" contest.
See more of her work in 9.2