single house light
by Hannah Polinski
A few Augusts ago, I became obsessed with a story I heard of a couple whose baby was attacked by a bat. The mother left her bedroom window open for the sea breeze. She kissed her baby goodnight, and later returned to find them covered in bite marks.
When the story was told, many people called the woman selfish, which I thought was an odd adjective for such an unpredictable event. "Selfish" is a word often lobbied at women who choose themselves instead of catering to others, as femininity demands.
As I drove along the ocean, I sought to reframe selfishness as an act of self-preservation. Desolate beaches gave way to lighthouses that rose like cathedrals from the sea. Single fisherboats or sets of footprints in the sand took on a new context as I traced the paths of those who take intentional steps alone.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Hannah Polinski is a writer and filmmaker. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The Malahat Review, CV2, Frontier Poetry, In the Mood Magazine, and more. From theatre to art criticism, her work explores familial memory, shifting landscapes, and expressions of sexuality. She lives in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal and loves parties.
Instagram: @wallcreeping