Creative

The Yellowing Heart

0 370

By Laura Pathe

The Heart that wilts within your chest
Could crumple at a touch.
Cruelly tortured at your behest
It’s stained a yellow blush.
Hung upturned and left to dry
unbidden tears do fall.
Floating with the petals of
Your sagging, forlorn Heart.
They float upon a growing flood
Decayed and etched with mould.
Heaving sobs wrack the shell
As tears leak round your soul.

The Heart drip-drips with venom,
Scorching cracking sores,
Its on your breath and in your eyes,
Congealed to block your pores.

The heart that seeps within your chest
Infects you with its yellowing mist
Creeping all around your limbs
The nails upon your hand curl in
and scratch the prickled palm-skin…

Was once this yellowed orb
A succulent, dripping red?

You placed your lips, drew a breath,
There’s no life left, it’s leaked –
It’s dead.

It is drooping down inside of me:
My yellowing heart within.

A stain upon my being,
I can’t begin to speak

My words lose their meaning
And my heart wilts and sags
The life is sucked from me.

Laura Pathe is currently studying for an MA in Gothic Literature. She recently moved to Manchester due to the city’s vibrant Gothic scene and writes as a way of expressing the struggle to find a sense of individualism in an increasingly fast-paced and demanding society.

About the author / 

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Kaytranada @ Co-Op Live review – a timeless performance

    Featured image and gallery: Jack Oliver After eight packed out performances across Europe Kaytranada arrives at Co-Op Live for his largest show on the European leg of his ‘Timeless Tour’. The 23,000 capacity venue is filled with excited fans who eagerly anticipate the start of the show after energetic performances from Pomo, Lou Phelps and…

  • From Feed to Feet: How gorpcore fashion has boosted communities of young men to walk and talk

    Featured image: Olivia Taberner and Adomas Lukas Petrauskas From Arc’teryx raincoats to mud-clogged Salomons, we explore how outdoor garments have evolved from fashion trends to functional wear – bringing together communities of young men in the process. What began as a Patagonia jacket and a sunrise ambition soon turned into getting “battered at 3am by…

  • The Success of Moss Side filmmaker Baka Bah: “Whenever I do say where I’m from, I automatically see labels pinging over my head”

    Featured image: Yas Lucia Mascarenhas and Adomas Lukas Petrauskas Manchester’s inner-city neighbourhood of Moss Side is often portrayed in the media as a dangerous area, plagued by knife crime and shootings. However, one resident and Manchester Met student – Baka Bah – believes this one-sided story doesn’t reflect the true spirit of his community. While…

  • Queer Lit: Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ bookstore on building a legacy in Manchester

    Featured image: Molly Goble and Nicola Henry In the last five years, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people have risen by 112%, underscoring the critical need for safe, inclusive spaces where queer individuals can find a sense of belonging. Amid this crisis, Queer Lit has emerged as a sanctuary in the form of a literary refuge…