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Mar 22, 2026
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Literary journal of the Northern Writers Forum.
© 2026 NWF Journal · Northern Writers Forum
Literary journal of the Northern Writers Forum.
& it all began—thrown out-world
as i scraped the dirt picked from the roof.
my house hasn’t been cleaned since the last
ember month. the bedside saved my leftover
bread. i will eat it if i get home. i still
don’t know how to say i’m learning
to walk forward. my mother forbids
me from walking with my back turned.
moving further into the house, i found
many things i left cleaned & sparkling, covered
with dust. it has been a while i owned anything.
please, don’t pity me. i’m not poor.
everything i had was clean before i left.
i never wanted to leave. it was the clock
that stopped ticking. about time, how many
times has the world rotated without me?
i need to get a map of this side. my mother
forbids me from walking with my back
turned. so, i’m learning to walk forward.
i will eat if i get back. there is leftover
bread on my bedside. the house
hasn’t been swept since last ember month.
i scraped the dirt i picked from the roof
& continued throwing myself out-world.
