Right now
my brain
is a biscuit tin,
rattling with the excitement of an idea.
Soon it becomes too much
so I’m left with a box of crumbs.
I still can’t find the way home.
I eat them till there’s nothing left,
because I’m confused at how
broken all the biscuits are.
I tip the crumbs in
till it’s so dry
they crown out of my mouth
like lobster claws hanging from the corners.
Eventually I’m just a sandbag
with my chin slumped on my stomach.
After a while I realise
I’m in a room
with all the windows boarded up,
so I walk into the centre,
not knowing where the door is.

Poem: Ellie Riddy
Illustration: Simeon Davies
AYLY pairs up artists, photographers and writers aged 16-25.
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