Breath & Shadow
June 2026 - Vol. 23, Issue 3
"A Woman Pays for Pleasure"
written by
Jaime Conlan
glowing cherry within the sharp teeth of dysfunctional rat trap
free-flowing river behind chained-up gate with barbed wire crowns
extended hang nails blooming new shreds of skin to rip raw
dual-factor authentication with second-by-second refreshed passwords
sickly stockholm syndrome and the necessity to succumb
laser-laden room designed to kill a spy
broken zipper caught on overloaded fabric
ritual-binding moon cycles orchestrating internal tides
eternal screeching of biological mechanisms bigger than desires
razor-blade edge between this life and that death
collicky hormones pulling puppet strings
centuries-old shrapnel waiting to detonate
leaky faucet that must be jostled to function
arched bellies outstretched like anthills
caved life outstretched like sun cusping into black hole
salivating screams surrendered for proof of life
reachable release only in the face of the death
Jaime Conlan is a poet and creative living in Seattle by way of Georgia. While her day job is marketing, her nights are a flurry of writing poems and essays, crocheting clothing, and learning stenography. Her essays are available at substack.com/@introspectating, and her poems have previously appeared in 4Culture’s Poetry in Public exhibition as well as Cope Magazine, Ambrosia, and La Revista.