Her body lies bare—
open; her skin,
white-washed in the milk
of a thousand lovers;
her veins, broken blue
threads, skeins
of frozen sapphires
melting under the heat
of kneading hands.

Amy Lauren Jones is a graduate music major at Mississippi College, a Christian university in the Jackson metro area. In 2013, 2014, and 2016, her poetry appeared in their annual literary magazine. She was also the first woman to receive the university’s Byrd Preaching Award, and she writes weekly for The Odyssey. Other recent publications include forthcoming issues of Lavender Review and Vagabond City. Although Amy hopes to pursue a doctorate in music, she still loves to write and study poetry.