H(a)unt
the floorboards spit you up
as a ghost
duck feathers are on fire
which means the bed is on fire
which means I am on fire
sister and I hear the same noise
in the hallway. tell each other in
the morning, about the click of
the backdoor. how this ghost still
opens doors with his hands.
perhaps it’s the neighbour’s cat,
sister says. somehow legged. footsteps
knocking like pipes in the
dark. our dreams tunnel together,
mouths opening to words vacuumed
out the back of our heads.
the backdoor stands open,
and outside the ducks are
all on fire. the lake is
upside down. sister –
Celestine Stilwell (he/him) is a transmasculine writer based in Edinburgh. His debut Edinburgh Fringe show May Contain Traces of Nuts received multiple five-star reviews, being described as a ‘fresh, unyielding, and powerfully character-driven … sucker-punch coming-of-age drama’ (BingeFringe). Celestine began his career as a poet and was nominated for the Forward Prize in 2022. His poems have found their way into publications such as Butcher’s Dog, The North and BullshitLit. His poetry film, Golden Hour, was longlisted for an Outspoken award and later published by Ink Sweat and Tears. Celestine’s screenplay adaptation of May Contain Traces of Nuts is currently in development at Hat Trick Lab. Connect with him on Instagram.