A Sinner’s Wish Kai

Jones

Ever since I heard the song of sentience, And my brain partnered with my ear to acknowledge colorful sounds,

I have been told that for my life to have meaning, I must labor. I must work.

This brick value was built into my brain. forced onto me, as a mother shoves spoonfuls of thick red medicine into an unwilling child’s mouth. Against its will.

Except I was never sick.

Still, I swallowed. Medicine turned to poison. boy turned to slave.

Both traitors of nature.

So now,

With caffeinated veins and hanging eyes, I stumble through my existence. I fill my days and stretch my “to do” list. I let school devour me, chew me up, swirl me around in its abusive mouth.

I’ve substituted the memory of grandpa’s voice with the quadratic equation.

I’ve traded the feeling of velvet carpet under my tiny leather feet on a Sunday morning, for the names of each of Henry the 8th’s wives. I no longer remember how it felt to sprint around grandma’s doll house,

To spin and fly, To feel her vulnerable skin.

So for one minute. Just one.

(60 seconds in case you dared to forget) Let me exist. Would that be such a sin?

Today was Different Mark Jungers

The Winter breeze felt like a tsunami smashing against my face

My body was numb from head to toe

I Normally walked by the signs of desperation on the sidewalk

But today was different

I started to sympathize with them I took a look in my wallet and saw no money Normally I would keep walking

But today was different

Even in the worst conditions

People are fighting just to survive I kept walking and eventually found a shelter Normally I would keep walking

But today was different

I chose to enter the shelter on foot

Because today was different