They Say There’s a Monster
By Aimee Hardy
They say there’s a monster in my house
At first I thought it was my brother
With his sharp teeth that spit
Words like needles that stick to the bone
Then I thought it was my father
With his big hands that chop
Wood and brick and cement
Into dust that gets caked beneath his fingernails
Then I thought it was my mother
With her rage that flies
At the drop of a hat until you’re so scared
You never drink milk for fear that you’d spill a drop
Then I knew it was me
With my sharp teeth that needles bone
And my big hands that turn bones to dust
And my rage that soars
And my hunger
That gapes and yawns and growls
And is never full and is never satisfied
Aimee Hardy is the author of Pocket Full of Teeth (2024) and has been published in various literary magazines (Pushcart Prize nominee in 2020). She has a B.A. and M.A. in English from National University. When she’ s not writing or editing, she enjoys going on hikes with her husband and two kids or curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. For more of Aimee’ s work, please visit www.aimeehardy.com.
