the night we buried six in the bellyof the bleak night we buried six whispering secretsto the dirt an illicit ritualfor the forgotten burying thembeneath the weightof our collective guilt the moonspilledits hushedgentle glow a voyeu… Read on blog or Reader The Rising Phoenix Review Read on blog or Reader the night we buried six By Shanelle Hicks The Rising Phoenix Review June 12 the night we buried six in the belly of the bleak night we buried six whispering secrets to the dirt an illicit ritual for the forgotten burying them beneath the weight of our collective guilt the moon spilled its hushed gentle glow a voyeur in the inky sky watched as we dug six shallow graves the soil an accomplice in our conspiracy compacted memories hidden in earth's harsh embrace no hymns no elegies for the nameless our fingers trembled with terror metal shovels ringing breaking the silence digging deeper could bury not just bodies but truth's violence that tore at our throats the night a heavy veil draped over our silent shame witnessed the unmarked graves of the unclaimed and we like shadows slinked away from the crime scene of our complacency the dirt heaved a heavy sigh and gulped the evidence each clump sealing the pact of our cold complicity while the stars bore bright witness to our covert ceremony— on the night we buried six By Shanelle Hicks Biography: Shanelle Hicks is a poet, writer and graphic designer from Groton, Connecticut. She graduated from the University of Connecticut, with a B.S. in Psychology. Her debut poetry collection, GULP: Volume 1: Siphon, arrives in 2024. When she's not writing, she's building her body care brand. You can find her on social @shanellexhicks and in real life in Southern California. Comment

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