by Lina Lau

and I leave a part of me behind, the part that shuffles with dropped chin, downcast eyes, slouched shoulders. Avoiding disagreements, placating. The bell dings and I plant my feet firmly, rooted, grounded. Roll my weight onto my toes. Lift my gloves to my chin. Keep elbows close to my body. Shoulders raised, tense but not tight. My body falls into its boxing stance easily. I watch my opponent across the ring. She shakes out her arms, adjusts her headgear. I’m ready to fight.

Lina Lau is a creative nonfiction writer from Toronto, Canada. Her work can be seen in Hippocampus Magazine, carte blanche, Little Fiction | Big Truths, and Tiny Essays. Her piece “Spitting Out The Seeds” was the third place winner in the Prairie Fire 2019 creative nonfiction contest, and her work was longlisted for the 2019 CNFC/Humber Literary Review creative nonfiction contest. Find her on Twitter @LinaLau_ and IG @_linalau_.