Body & Blood
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Body & Blood

On Sunday, I went to church for the first time in three months. It was awful.

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How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)

SONGS OF CHANGE #3

“What was that?” I wondered, looking over my shoulder in the pitch-black room. “It’s part of it, you’ll see,” my mother whispered. I gripped my knees tightly, as if they might float away. I wasn’t go anywhere, I had decided. Not until the lights came around again…

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How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)

SONGS OF CHANGE #2

I lived three months as an alien. No, I’m not talking about when I went to Washington. No, I’m not talking about Caleb and the cancer. Three months. Gone. Whisked away by the waking of my eyes. Three months. Followed by a week of questioning my reality. False memories made of picnics, conversations, conflicts with friends and spontaneous outings to celebrate our recent accolades. All within 7 hours of sleep. All a dream that felt more like real life than my waking reality. All, alien.

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How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

How to Be a Writer (In 10 Seconds or Less)

SONGS OF CHANGE #1

“1 new unread message” falls from the top of my phone screen. I click, fast . It reads: “…Would you be interested?” I hesitate, typing, deleting, and typing again. “Yes,” I type quickly and press send before I have time to second guess my answer, my abilities.

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Sissygirl -EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Sissygirl -EE

The final entry of my “Edmonds Entries” series. A poem for the girl I’ve tried to forget.

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Melted Ice Cream- EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Melted Ice Cream- EE

Today I had ice cream for the first time in eight months…Why did I feel like I had been returned an essay with a giant “FAILED” stamped across the front page?

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Diet Coke Girl- EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Diet Coke Girl- EE

I hope to see her still, on my graduation day, sitting behind the desk long, crying at my speech. And maybe, in the turning of the world…

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Beating Boba- EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Beating Boba- EE

My hand shot from my coat and moved the door to open. I stood in front a wall of decision noodle soup.

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If The Shoe Fits…  -EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

If The Shoe Fits… -EE

I was allowed one suitcase, well, two, but I figured they’d like me more had I reduced myself to one.

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Mars Bars- EE
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Mars Bars- EE

As I scan over the town, I find I’ve landed in a place far-off. Strange in every sense of the word.

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Progress Pictures
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Progress Pictures

While in treatment, I had little access to technology. This would usually cause me little stress, but seeing as my primary coping strategy was what got me there in the first place, and my second was music (which was nowhere to be found without technology or the elusive musical instrument), I tried out drawing again.

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Mental Gymnastics
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

Mental Gymnastics

The first time I felt uncomfortable in my body was in a gymnastics class at 5 years old…

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I Never Tasted My Wedding Cake.
Cayla Ross Cayla Ross

I Never Tasted My Wedding Cake.

I was too worried about what I’d look like the next morning, what monster would erupt to weigh me down and take me with it. I thought if I ate it, I was losing my willpower…

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