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Compound Fracture Lyrics by Jackie Kay

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That day
after the bone came through my skin -
my mother's voice split open
right into my ear, saying my name,
and then saying her own, on a phone not there;
not herself, using a strange tone.
It is her. I screamed for her, desperate.
She was in the next room repeating our names
until the nurse
burst into the white casualty
her eyes bulging with cruelty; a terse -
Now Now Now, her voice hailstones
pelting - You won't be seeing your mother
unless you button
that thick lip, and worse, worse.
So walls come in.
I tried to fasten
every button along my bottom lip, down to my
poisoned apple. I realised what
the nurse had said only by looking
at her body and her lips:
the starched white
of her uniform; her tight fitting
mouth; her polished black shoes. Whips.
That sardonic tongue; that regiment cap.
My mother was still in another world, taking sips
of sweet tea for shock; I ached for her soft lips.
Credits
Jackie Kay

Jackie Kay

About “Compound Fracture” by Jackie Kay

Read the complete lyrics to "Compound Fracture" by Jackie Kay. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Compound Fracture" is performed by Jackie Kay. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Compound Fracture", explore more songs by Jackie Kay using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"Compound Fracture" is credited to Jackie Kay. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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