Elizabeth Acevedo

A truth
you did not want
to know
can rot & grow mold
in the pit
of your stomach,
can sour
every taste
you’ve ever had,
can cast a stench
so bad you forget
you’ve ever known
a sweet thing.

I once heard a rumor

that goldfish have an evolutionary gene

where they’ll only develop as big as the tank they’re put into.

They need space to stretch. And I wonder if

Twin and I are keeping each other small.

Taking up the space that would have let the other grow.

When your body takes up more room than your voice

you are always the target of well-aimed rumors,