issue 4
// poetry
Even in My Sleep
by Danielle Coffyn
my body bears the burden—
knees knotted with worry,
back muscles dense
as unripened limes.
The days are lengthening. Still,
sunlight does little to deter
the anxiety anchored in the muddy
mind of a millennial mother.
Each morning, I send my son
to school & leave with a bullet
lodged in my throat. I pray
to a god I do not believe in
he will survive lead-painted
walls, sharp-tongued peers,
our family’s proclivity
for whiskey.
At night I dream we shelter
in the bathtub from boots & gunfire.
He does not know how to stay
quiet. Even in my sleep,
I know I cannot save him.
about the author // Danielle Coffyn
| DANIELLE COFFYN (she/her) is a Belgian-American poet and writer. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and author of If Adam Picked the Apple, released with North Meridian Press in 2025. Her poems have appeared in the Eunoia Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, Litbop, the North Meridian Review, and others. She currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri with her partner, son, and pup. |
Instagram: @daniellecoffyn
Website: http://www.daniellecoffyn.com
wildscape. literary journal 