Defenestration by Madeleine Bazil

The only difference between a diary entry and a poem is the
sundered line. Hang up a call like in the movies: dead
giveaway. Stub out a cigarette before it’s
finished because you’re called back into the thrall.
There’s always a voice from another room, asking
for more. But it’s not a question of acquiescing;
it’s a question of what you want, baby.
You asked me once: You know the English language
has a word for throwing someone out a window? I do,
from the Latin. Control-alt-delete fenestra.
The life-changing magic of tidying up: open the curtains,
spritz the air freshener, throw me out
the open window. I’ll be surprised but I’ll land
lightly. I’ll keep the phone off the hook in case
you have something else to say.

Madeleine Bazil (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller. She is interested in memory, intimacy, and the ways we navigate worlds — real and imagined. She holds an MA Hons (First Class) in English Literature from Scotland’s University of St Andrews and is currently an MA candidate of Documentary Arts at the University of Cape Town. Her visual and written work has been published and exhibited in the UK, US, and South Africa.