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baby, I birthed you
despite my best efforts;
your wings clog my gullet,
you flap when I eat.

I munch and I mash down,
but still you stay brittle;
your little bones rattle
between my loose teeth.

when winter is over,
you start to fly somewhere.
you drag my bruised body
behind you like smoke.

my tongue is your beak now.
my body sprouts feathers.

you sing for the first time,

and I start to choke.



C. C. Rayne is an author who writes all things weird, wonderful, and queer. You can find more of C. C.’s poetry in places such as Heartlines Spec, Eye To The Telescope, The Dread Machine, and Stone Circle Review. You can find C. C.’s stories in places such as The Deeps, The Razor, Demons and Death Drops, HAD, and JAKE.
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19 Jan 2026

the black fairy in the village sold her a dime for a nickel
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By: B. Pladek
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