I Think I Have Lady Macbeth Syndrome by Cathrina Jakeman (Colorado, 19)

I hold my guilt between my teeth like I’m at the dentist. / It drills deep into me / She tells me to open wide, but I bite down. / For when I speak it becomes sanguinary / When they take x-rays, ​they say my jaw is too 

tight for a young girl. / It’s waiting, willing / They put the tooth in my hand, and my lifeblood decays. / Take a shower, it will help / My mouth is washed out– tinged pink. / But nothing bothers me more than carmine / After the cleaning I feel the rot. / We are decaying from the things we don’t talk about / I think I have Lady Macbeth syndrome. / Will you shut up already? /


​Cathrina Jakeman, 19, is a writer, poet, and student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver studying literature, film, and media. Cathrina can often be found on the mic at practice for her metal-core band, Snatch, or writing her demons away at 4:00 am with her cat, Henry.