Contributor: Anita Cheng

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My words are potters, sealing away secrets with silence,
hiding anger and hatred away.

My words are like David,
defeating Goliath problems with expected ease.

My words are my sanctuary,
consoling me with impossibly compelling lies.

My words have never been a siren’s song.
Instead, acerbic and brutal, they spill too easily from me.

My words, like sharp, quick knives,
break through the silence and wreak destruction.

My words are a stronghold, a tempest, the breath of life.
My words are my power.


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Anita Cheng defies death on a consistent basis through the consumption of food she is allergic to. Ironically, Anita is a food aficionado and cannot escape this fate. When she isn’t ending arguments with her sarcasm, Anita undertakes the role of a part time mother to those around her.