Bio
Emma Sheppard (she/her) is an English professor, teacher educator, and writer living in Toronto, ON. She writes on issues of identity, grief, family, and more. Her work can be found forthcoming in Stonecoast Review, Soliloquies Anthology and The Bookends Review, and on Substack and Instagram at @emma.out.loud.
Emma Sheppard
Clothing optional
I went to the sauna one Tuesday
the sting of heartbreak deep in
my chest
a woman swam past me
topless and smiled
I smiled back
and unhooked
we were not flirting
no, we were just
two women
in a sauna on a Tuesday
who wanted one less thing
to lay heavy on our chests.