Scratch

SCRATCH is a poetry collection that explores risk, desire, and the body in relation to family, to friends and lovers, and to insects in a self-critical, sonically playful voice that asks what, who, and why we care for the things we do. It’s split into five sections. Section 1, called “BACKWATER,” introduces us to the speaker’s panic, their depression and self-harm tendencies, their family dynamics, and their relationship to their body. In section 2, “UNSET IN STONE,” the speaker reaches out for connection and explores both caring and being cared for. “HURTING KIND,” the third section, delves into the speaker’s malice, anger, and capacity to harm both themselves and others. This section serves as a climax for the collection, following risk and violence to its peak. Section 4, “WHAT I TEND TO,” explores the aftermath, when the speaker crawls free of debilitating hurt and starts searching for cohesion, goodness, and care. The final section, titled “HOME,” serves to show us where the speaker goes from here and how they now see their connections to the body, to others, and to the world.