Abigail TerBush - March 4, 2025
Artwork: "Burnout" - Usko
Autumn days; starlit nights.
Sleep seems to elude me now,
Like a knot in my stomach,
Growing bigger and bigger.
An unpayable debt,
My days become numbered.
Each morning is another chore,
Until a break arrives.
Sweet fifteen minutes of solitude,
A cool breeze drifts through the air.
Shimmering lights ablaze,
Glinting signs below.
Heading back inside,
A notice is placed on my desk.
A note, a goodbye, an exit,
But without any rest.
Leaving, a sigh of relief escapes.
A start, a beginning, a new life,
Leaves crunch under my feet,
The world seeming so far away.
Days are passing.
Months.
Then, years.
No one wants to hire someone with one foot in the grave.
Coughing, so much coughing,
The smoke covers my skin,
Sinking deep into the crevices,
Reaching my soul.
Brazen cowardice,
Starting everything, yet running away.
Moments lost in time, until it’s too late.
Sickness growing, larger and larger.
One more interview,
One more phone call,
One more smoke break.
One more denial.
One last party,
One last FaceTime,
One last apology,
One last hug.
Finally,
I’ve caught up to you
Sleep,
Rest sounds nice.
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