Motherhood

when stacked

they cling like lovers

toe to heel, heel to toe

yet like a sick kid

my shoe cabinet

keeps retching shoes,

and likelihoods

of things I could have been

shoes my kids have outgrown

shoes that warp around their toes

none of those belong to me

Maria is a short fiction writer from Pakistan. She explores themes of mental health struggles, struggles faced by women, and other social issues through her work. her works have appeared in tasavvurnama, scribbled.online, flare lit, and elsewhere. Her works can be found on her Instagrm and Bluesky at @sullenchaos.