Your Estranged Daughter

Somewhere out there, there is a version of myself
that never knew your carefully placed wrath,
never felt the sting of your vodka filled hands,
or the spine tingling chill of your words.
She is sparkling and effervescent,
a perfect example of being blessed.
She is who I should want to be,
but she is who I feel sorry for.
Because without knowing you,
I would never know me.

- Your Estranged Daughter

Caitlin Chandler (she/they) is a writer from Suffield, CT, where she spends her free time hiking and playing with her two cats Willow and Bella. She has been previously published in the pride edition of The Sour Collective zine with her piece Refracted Light.