Developed a habit
of curling up in a ball
as I release the unneeded.
Bare it all out, because I’m tired
of getting scared when I see your name.
I need to man up.
The style of mum is old, so I’ll
just let the oxygen play inside
as the tower crumbles and falls on me,
because maybe, I thought,
it’ll feel a little better than keeping
all of the thorns in.
Troy Cabida (b. 1995) is a London-based Filipino poet. He has been a member of the Barbican Young Poets, the Roundhouse Poetry Collective and is a producer for open mic night Poetry and Shaah. His poems have appeared in TAYO, harana, Bukambibig, Cha and Ink, Sweat and Tears. His debut poetry pamphlet "War Dove" is published under Bad Betty Press. View more posts
