Join the Tuesday Slice of Life
That undeniable feeling of defeat I haven’t been able
to tell anyone about, not in words anyway
despite hearing the advice of my daughter
who studies this kind of thing;
She warns me of the dangers of depression:
don’t let this go on for too long
I can feel it pulse like my eyelids under my fingers
which average 10 blinks a minute varying quite
a bit based on the individual,
and things like medication and nervous disorders.
So am I normal? I listened to the weatherman’s advice.
I trusted the image of storm clouds.
Trust your inner self, says Oprah,
in this month’s O magazine advertising 101 best pieces of advice—
ever! The right words at the right time
will direct my path.
Not today–today the path
is covered in acorns that pop when I step on them.
Pop! Pop! Something satisfying in the act of
stepping on this winter squirrel snack. Hear me
stomping, making rhythm by destroying.
Bake the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
or How to Have a Conversation: Things I need to know
to be the perfect O-mag reader, but what about
this day when I can’t focus on the words? My eyes
flutter while I hold back the tears.
I am imperfect and annoyed that this is so.
First, get a drink. Seriously, she says that, get a drink.
Something to hold on to when all else fails.
