Can You Eat the Ashes?

by Ericka Clay

Pigs and pearls
and little girl dreams
and the nothing
more than what I’m not.
And you,
a
sharp-mouthed
word
birthed by an
empty
belly.
Your flint tongue
set the
grass on fire,
but can you
eat the
ashes?

Ericka Clay is a published novelist and poet. As a former atheist turned believer, she seeks to write raw, real, relatable books that have a heart for Jesus. She’s been awarded several times by Writer’s Digest for her short fiction pieces and is working on her latest novel, A Bird Alone (due to be published January 2024). She lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband, daughter, and an insatiable need to push buttons, both figuratively and literally.