Eggs to Crack
By Michael Roque
All I ever wanted to be—
was a chicken.
An egg
hatching at my own pace,
gluttons watch,
plotting to cook me into a snack
they can season to satisfy
their own taste.
Two sets of hands,
four rows of teeth—
opposite appetites.
One wants me boiled in scalding water
till my soft center hardens.
One wants me scrambled
on a sizzling skillet.
Both
aim to crack open my shell
before I can hatch—
into myself.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michael Roque began writing poetry and prose while studying at Pasadena City College. He has been based in the Middle East since 2013. He is the author of Writing to a Raid Siren (Pomegranate Press). His work has appeared in literary journals including North Dakota Quarterly, The Queen’s Review, The Roanoke Rambler, Poetry Super Highway, and BlazeVOX.