There is a constellation
of calcifications
 
these tiny stars 
sit tight
amongst grey matter
 
like fireflies 
in the branches                     
of a thick pine
after dark
 
and nearby loom                   
the larger moons, 
glowing from i.v contrast,
 
white snakes 
with full bellies
coiling 
around
my brain.

In 2018 Marie-Louise was shortlisted for the Bridport poetry prize and the Myslexia poetry competition. She lives in Washington DC but hails from the UK.