Corinne Bates

Corinne Bates is an Austin-based singer-songwriter, who spends her free time writing, reading, and going to shows. She is a member of Womxn in Music Austin, and is a fierce feminist. She is a senior at St. Edward's University and is studying English Writing and Rhetoric.

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Twitter + Instagram @thecoreycorinne

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Steeping

There are a few peaceful moments every morning
Before it comes
I lay in silence
Listen to the birds
The cars on the highway
My breath filling the room

Then it washes over me
A fog rolling in
It creeps into the cracks
Labors my breathing
So I lay in sadness
Let it steep
Dyeing my insides

Finally I scoop it out
Wrap it up
Put it in a box
Place it back inside my chest
It’s no longer steeping
Just sitting and waiting
As I go about my day

The box leaks sometimes.
The latch breaks
It begins to seep back out
I patch it with glue
Putty
Tape
It holds a little longer
As I smile at strangers on the street
And laugh with my friends

But the moon draws it back out
Like it does the waves
Pulls it from within
Places it back on the center of my chest
Begs me to feel i