Ball Mason Jar #13

I will pickle myself from the inside out. 

Vinegar and peppercorns, uncrushed 

garlic cloves and star anise —

the brine will fill space between my organs

and cure my flesh. I’ll absorb

salt enough to dry my blood cells, 

leave my kidneys shriveled 

and eyes like marbles.

Who needs lungs when they will hold 

my eggs like a basket, turning them 

bloated-flesh green with a taste that bites.

I will walk and slosh 

because the lid of my jarhead

doesn’t match my jarneck —

I will walk with my hands holding the metal ring

tight to keep my insides pickled and preserved.

***

Julia Kaeding is a teacher and poet based in Hudson, WI. She earned her MFA at Augsburg University and hopes to spread her poetry into the nooks and crannies of the world. Her work has been featured in Pile Press and The Raven Review.