Bio
Claire Loader is a New Zealand born writer now living in County Galway, Ireland. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Crannóg, The Cormorant & Blackbough Poetry.
Claire Loader
Linger
I am not afraid of death, only the manner
in which she comes. The sharp metallic punch
of a bullet's kiss, the screaming pressure
of an underwater burial.
I dream of it sometimes, my head filled up
with blood, my lungs ready to burst.
But what I fear most
is a silent death. No fanfare as limbs constrict,
no fracas as shadows creep. To stay
beyond the allotted time, no longer welcome
in your own flesh. To linger
wishing for a bullet.