Sacrifice, poem by my friend from Lancaster, Alex Evans

Sacrifice by Alexandra O’Toole Evans We loved the tenderness of this poem by Alexandra, especially its unlikely physical manifestations. A perfect way to start the week. Enjoy! . Sacrifice . When you are out there, hanging from lengths of rope, with nothing but pipes and pieces of corrugated metal to break your fall; and the sea, surrounding you, soothing you, ever threatening to swallow you whole, I am in the kitchen, shaking earth from root vegetables; scraping off their rough skins, before I chop them into pieces and drown them in scalding water. . Do you think I don’t know the risks you take? Guilt and uselessness gnaw at me every day. So I make lists, and tick things off as I go, charting my success in crosses out and cups of tea; marking my days with memories made digital and sending them to your inbox out at sea. To the east: where you hang from lengths of rope. . . . Alexandra O’Toole is currently editing her first novel and has just completed an MA in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. When she’s not writing or blogging about writing at http://alexandraotoole.wordpress.com she works with businesses to help them connect with their audiences through stories. Tags: Kumquat Poetry poetry poem Alexandra O'Toole