Muzzle
There is a key in my throat
but it belongs
to someone else.
When I try to speak
the sound comes out
like a chair dragged slowly
across the floor
of an empty church.
They say
you should be grateful.
So I nod.
The ceiling leaks pennies.
The walls have ears
that whisper almost my name.
My pockets are full of moths
that used to be promises.
I sleep beside the hands
that feed me.
All love smells like sugar
and rust.
Sometimes I dream
my voice is a stray dog
pacing the yard
beyond the fence.
Thin ribs.
Yellow eyes.
Waiting for me
to whistle—
but the key
is still
in someone else’s pocket.
Heather Kays is a St. Louis-based poet and author. Her memoir, Pieces of Us, dissects her mother’s struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Her YA novel, Lila’s Letters, traces a young woman’s growth and healing through unsent letters. Her poetry collection, Myths in the Feed, sold out six times in three months, making her Crying Heart Press’s best-selling author. She was nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize in 2025. Heather runs The Alchemists, an online writing community, and is drawn to stories that explore survival, identity, and the complexity of being human.
