Kelly Nickie
Twisted
Seeking refuge
beneath cotton polyester
Cannot get past
these knots
tightening around my organs
I used to treat them
with positive affirmations
administered by daytime TV
A black dog got in here
he pants loud against my ear
nuzzles along my vertebrae
I’ve tried to move him
but his eyes water
with his whine
now it feels
too warm
to leave
Clutch
My body
is in the driver’s seat
watching
the light turn green
My soul
is the passenger
watching pedestrians cross over the boulevard
A white SUV
cuts in front
Right foot slams
on the brake
Left hand bashes
the horn
Head leans through the window
screaming spit
My soul unbuckles
Claws against tempered glass
I turn on the radio
Our favorite song plays
The next intersection
is surrounded by
dress shirt and tie teenagers
clutching homemade billboards
urging drivers to honk
for Jesus
Hands grip the steering wheel
Eyes straight ahead
Lips pursed
My soul escapes through the air vents
runs along the shoulder
leaving behind the exhaust
beating me home
Kelly Nickie Is an adult that has a schedule and needs at least 72 hour’s notice for any changes. She’s also a humble writer that scribbles mundane phrases of the everyday, and turns them into second thoughts. Her work can be found on kellynickie.com and Instagram @kellynickiewrites.
Banner Art:
Marthe and the dog, Black, Pierre Bonnard, before 1947, Wikimedia Commons, PD-US
