Self-Portrait by Valentina Cano

She’s a person with feathers for blood.

They ruffle in the sunlight,

in faded attempts at forgotten flight.

She walks as if her bones

are ready to slide out of their sheaths,

to taste the air,

to bleach themselves dry 

of all the muck of life. 

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. Her works have appeared in numerous publications and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Her debut novel, The Rose Master, was published in 2014 and was called a "strong and satisfying effort" by Publishers Weekly.