Annie Sokovich
CONTACT:
Madison, WI
Instagram: @beautifuldarknesspoetry
Instagram: @twistedtonailspoetry
BIO:
My Beautiful Darkness poems reflect moments in my life which center around grief, love, mental illness and death. I play with imagery to capture emotions. My other poetry project “twisted toenails” centers around humor and lightness for children and people of all ages to enjoy! Someone is currently making illustrations for the twisted toenails poetry. I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school, whether it be journaling, poetry, stories, or songs. My heart belongs to poetry because we are capturing visceral moments through writing—it’s beautiful. Writing has been the best outlet for expressing myself. I haven’t published yet, but hope to in the near future!
Poetry
Grief
I was unaware of the meaning of grief.
I tried to contain it,
but its boundaries stretched on,
like an expanding universe.
Endless black,
with glimpses of stars I would never reach.
I didn't know the body could shut down
from exhaustion.
I became accustomed to the fetal position
on plush carpet.
My stomach muscles ached,
and my red, puffy eyes could be misidentified as
an anaphylactic reaction.
I became familiar with the suicide hotline.
One person urged me to get up and grab a snack.
Walking the kitchen temporarily relieved me,
from a labyrinth of intrusive thoughts.
Another provided me with grounding techniques—
ways to activate my parasympathetic nervous system.
One technique said to "visualize your favorite place,"
But there was no ground in sight,
because my favorite place was with you.
Twisted Toenails
I stubbed my big toe on my chair.
I let out a howl of pain.
To my despair,
There was a tear,
And the next part is hard to explain.
You see, my big toenail began to grow,
Past the length of my foot.
The other toenails began to do the same,
Like some wicked game,
Yes, there was something strange afoot.
My toenails began to twist and twirl,
Like the roots beneath a tree.
They grew up and down,
And furled around,
Until they completely entangled me.