Once, a woman named famine
ate the stomachs of small children,
bit and broke the hunger resting
in their eyes, her teeth two thick coffins
cutting through innocent skin.
I’ll build a fire with their bones, make a blanket with their hair.
She filled her pockets full of wind,
rubbed berries on her cheeks, the scent
of blood and sugar a wild beast on
her tongue. It bred against the howls
of wicked little doves, slept on piles
of white pebbles, bred in the spoiled
belly of grieved milk.
I’ll eat pearls with my porridge, roast their apples in sweet cream.
Later, a witch named escape
cooked the mouths of greedy babes,
dragged and caged their screams,
an iron door to their silver spoons,
her cottage sweeter than cherry ash,
riper than freshly picked plums.
I’ll light the oven with my rage, make a tea with their tears.
…
My, my, my— how good you all taste.
Stephanie M. Wytovich is an American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her work has been showcased in numerous magazines and anthologies such as Weird tales, Nightmare magazine, Southwest review, Year's best hardcore horror: Volume 2, and The best horror of the year: Volumes 8 & 15.
Wytovich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association, an active member of the Horror Writers Association, and a graduate of Seton Hill University’s MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction.
Her 2023 poetry collection, On the Subject of Blackberries, is out now.
Follow Wytovich at stephaniemwytovich.com and on Twitter and Instagram @SWytovich and @thehauntedbookshelf. You can also sign up for her newsletter at
Terrifying and tantalizing all at once!