today, I tripped and scraped my knee, but pain didn’t come at all—
no blood, just jiǔ and ramune,
a flowing waterfall
i'm scared to wear my mask these days, afraid of what their eyes might say, what hands might do to people like me when hatred burns and won’t decay
my skin is yellow, but inky black pools on my hands and drips below, writing words I can't take back,
in a script I don’t yet know
they throw their slurs like stones to break, to make me flinch, to make me ache— but I smile instead, let those words ring like little bells that sweetly sing
Shel Zhou is a 17-year-old from the Midwest with a passion for healthcare, public health, and universal healthcare. As an advocate for gender-affirming healthcare and reducing healthcare disparities, Shel aims to make a difference in these fields. Their writing has appeared in Harmony Literary Magazine, Cloudgazer Magazine, Buttermochi Journal, and Young Writers Journal. Shel also serves as an editor for the Young Global Scientists Journal and is the founder of Inkbloom Literary Review and The Hummingbird Campaign.
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