Katherine O’Connor is an emerging settler writer from Calgary, Alberta interested in the translation of the visual into the textual, inspired by her academic work in Art History and English at the University of Alberta. Katherine’s interest in creative writing emerged from writing, recording, and performing original songs with a local alternative-rock band when she was in high school. Her poetry has been published in Ink Movement, Rainbug Poetry Review, Hemlock Journal, and As Alive Journal. “Jack and Jill,” a short speculative horror story Katherine wrote about Jack the Ripper, was published in the Voices of the Dead digital zine.

Website: https://www.katherineoconnorwrites.com/

Instagram: @katherineoconnorwrites

Zoo

By Katherine O’Connor

CONTENT WARNING: Mild Description of Blood

Bro ken

and stiff

stolen or saved

Nothing is quite that simple is it

But everything is hungry.

Tip toe by the bars and don’t scream

too loud

I am okay living in lines,

living in shadows,

living behind glass

while breath sticks

and spreads

like blood.

Violence contained,

or violent containment?

They say that you

should try living in cages,

that you should try

being stared at,

on display,

as if we aren't already

starving.