voicemail
michelle turner
1.
I was born remembering you,
graffiti of your body
bold on the uterus wall.
I was born—
2.
I was born with the knowledge
of my selfishness, the endless
itch of my palms.
3.
Let me start over.
It should’ve been easier the first time,
when she hurried me out
of her body, out for good.
Sister—
4.
Forgive me the circumstances of my life.
5.
I was born without pockets
and so much to carry.
Some of it was gorgeous.
Some of it was yours you left behind.
after Marie Howe
Michelle Turner’s poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Spoon River Poetry Review, Southern Humanities Review, Slice, Sixth Finch, The Greensboro Review, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from the University of Michigan and lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she works as an editor, writing coach, and academic advisor. Read more at michellemturner.com.
