the skin song, by devon fulford

Poetry, chapbook, 28 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

coming of age is not an endeavor that most of us would choose, given any other option. it’s messy, raw, maddening, and ultimately, an inevitable part of growing up. when you’re a girl growing up in the south, societal pressures and expectations can feel positively oppressive at times. what is a body? why does skin have so much power? and what of the comingling frustrations and joys of sex versus love?

the skin song delves into instances of sex and intimacy that shaped the author as a young person learning about herself and the world in which we live. each free verse, stream-of-consciousness poem explores one of devon fulford’s core memories: some are funny, many are painful, but all are fraught with the perfect 20/20 vision only hindsight can offer.

devon fulford is a poet and educator. she has a doctor of education and masters degrees in both creative writing and education. her poetry book, southern atheist: oh, honey (2021), is available from cathexis northwest press. her second book of poetry, gulp (2024), is forthcoming from red ogre review. other poems can be found in body literature, dead mule school of southern literature, longridge review, blood pudding press, indolent books, crosswinds poetry journal, and many more. devon resides on the front range of the rocky mountains with her partner levi and chocolate labrador, the walrus. she loves riding her triumph street twin motorbike, attending live music shows, and advocating for conversations about topics that make us squirm. 

visit her website: https://www.definwords.com/