Whitechapel

Mary Jane rang an Irish refrain,
drunk on Ten Bells whiskey.
Her unpolluted apron ablaze,
she surrendered a scarlet shawl
and her weary wildgrass heart 
to the rogue incubus cloaked 
in the serrated fog, haunting
every step of squalid streets,
preying on its darkest shadows.

She placed the native beauty berries
upon her wooden churchyard grave,
marked with the Unfortunate’s brand
she seared upon her own scars
when she abandoned everywhere 
that could tie her to anyone.

In the end, there was nothing
she would not do 
for a fire.

Previously published in The Ekphrastic Review, October 2017

Megan Denese Mealor

Megan Denese Mealor resides in her native land of Jacksonville, Florida. A survivor of bipolar disorder, she often incorporates her kaleidoscopic emotions into her writing. Her work has been featured in literary journals worldwide, most recently in Spillwords, Eunoia Review, and The Stray Branch. Nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, Megan has authored two full-length poetry collections: "Bipolar Lexicon" (Unsolicited Press) and "Blatherskite" (Clare Songbirds). Currently, Megan is studying English at the University of North Florida while caring for her autistic son. She, her family, and three cats occupy a cavernous, yet cozy townhouse ornamented with ads for Victorian inventions.

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