by Ariya Bandy

But if you could
freeze the fluids inside every
wasp from a distance, if you could

command the spiders to build
sanctuary outside of yours, if you could
hear the clicks of footsteps and low,
looming breaths behind you, block

their blade with bare hands or refill
wounds like a parasite, if you could
toy with time like a simple hand
fidget, massage

neurons in others’
minds to trade their
files with yours, would you still be
scared?

Ariya Bandy is a writer of poetry and fiction who loves to surround herself with many types of literature. Painted Winds, her debut poetry chapbook, is out from Bottlecap Press. Her work appears in Iceblink Literary Magazine, Querencia Autumn 2023, and elsewhere. She is on Instagram and X @storyofariya.