By Louise O'Neil
I told the crows about you today
They listened to me, turning their heads from side to side
Their white-rimmed eyes reflected mine
“Did you love him?” they asked
I paused to consider the word ‘love’
A four-letter word couldn’t possibly describe all that I felt for you
I wanted to tell them that when you left, every leaf on every tree burst into black flames
Every bird fell from the sky, breaking their wings and refusing to fly
The ocean became glass and the fish bled to death on jagged waves
The sun burned to ash and darkness swallowed the rays of dust
I ripped my heart from my chest and buried it in the dirt, telling it I had no use for it anymore
I clawed out my eyes and cut off my ears
I never wanted to see another face or hear another voice again
I fed my tongue to the dog
For the words I spoke no longer had meaning
Without you, I was nothing but sinew and bone, a rotting stray whose owner never returned home
“Yes,” I said
“I suppose I did love him.”