In the Temple Shadows
Maudie Bryant
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Like wheat in autumn,
Beauty glows golden,
its fleeting, gilded lies
chipping like glass
scattered along some beach
no one dares to walk.
I’ve shed that sorry skin—
eyes cradled in longing, aching
to see themselves mirrored,
just to know how they feel.
Now I’m all bone and stone,
a hard heart pulsing,
silent as cicada’s wings—
a fine cascade, fading away.
A slip of silver, the serpent
of every regret coils past
my shoulders. Each snake a memory,
a hissing memento mori
whispering to the beast inside me,
touching a broken melody,
sighing for escape.
This is where I let go, where I bury
all those features, fractured
reflections I thought were mine.
I dig my gaze into the dirt,
into the roots,
into something raw.
My face might be gone, but here I grow—
sown and sinking into mud.
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Maudie Bryant is a Pushcart-nominated poet, multidisciplinary artist, and educator based in Shreveport, Louisiana. A graduate of the University of Louisiana Monroe (M.A. in English) and a mother, she explores the complexities of memory and identity through her work. Connect with her on Instagram @maudiemichelle and Bluesky @maudiemichelle.com.
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Posted in Blooms in Dusk and tagged in #boudin, #poetry, Poetry