A frail magpie
at the bottom
of the cage.
our hidden
affliction
building
like
blood clots.
Lured from your cologne,
I wonder what it’s like
to be the limp bird.
To be maimed,
my kinked wing
against the concrete,
yours for the taking, still—
Annie Murphy is an English major. She works at the Penn State Berkey Creamery on campus. In her free time, she writes poetry and nonfiction. She also enjoys playing with her four cats. She seeks her inspiration from Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, along with her professors that have molded her work over the years. She aspires to write her own book of poetry one day.