A day in the life of Sarah and Katie

Katie & Sarah

(Two best friends upon seeing each other after a long day.)

Katie: Surprise greeting!

Sarah: Excited super cheesy greeting!!

Katie: Animated question?

Sarah: Enthusiastic answer! Energetic question?

Katie: Introverted non-committal response.

Sarah: Hurt and embarrassed dismissal.

Katie: Reengaging statement.

Sarah: Half-hearted response.

Katie: Metabolic question?

Sarah: Titillated response.

Katie: Awkward silence.

Sarah: Pregnant pause. Overly confident question?

Katie: Nervous laughter.

Sarah: Defensive dismissal laughter.

Katie: Urgent statement. Pressing question?

Sarah: Rhetorical question?

Katie: Obstinate statement.

Sarah: Accusatory putdown.

Katie: Aggressive ursine personal attack.

Sarah: Irritated question? Confused question?

Katie: Random fact.

Sarah: Purpose-driven question?

Katie: Random fact.

Sarah: Repeated purposefully driven question?

Katie: Random fact.

Sarah: Piqued response.

Katie: Mutilated baby-babble.

Sarah: Clarify question?

Katie: Magnanimous excuse.

Sarah: Obsolete explanation.

Katie: Question?

Sarah: Statement.

Katie: Surprised response. Closing statement.

Sarah: Final chortle. Statement.

(Hug and depart)

a girl and her dog

I’ve fallen in love with a brown-eyed girl.
At night, I trace invisible hearts
over her white and grey coat.
Her body curves into mine.

At night, I trace invisible hearts
to protect her from monsters.
Her body curves into mine as
I sing lullabies into her ear.

To protect her from monsters
I tuck her beneath my blanket.
I sing lullabies into her ear, and
she kisses my hand—thank you.

Tucked beneath my blanket,
my lips shape a prayer of sleep.
She kisses my hand, a thank you.
Whispered secrets between two sisters.

My lips pray for sleep.
My breath falls into pattern
with my sister’s—whispered secrets.
I fell in love with a brown-eyed girl.

Set the stage...

My science partner is on his way to my apartment.
I run around to remove my stuff and organize my work, my mess.
I set the stage; it’s all a play, a regular rudiment.

The living room! Pillows on the couch, Bible on the table. I’m content.
I fill the soap—only half way. I use it, but I’m resourceful. This I’ll never confess.
My science partner is on his way to my apartment.

Tactfully, I place Calvin & Hobbes comics on his chair, flowers by the vent.
My shoes sorted by color, and oatmeal cookies in the oven. (15 minutes or less.)
I am the master; I set the stage, a regular rudiment.

The dishes are bubbled, the toilet paper end folded into an origami tent.
I sniff my pits, run cologne through my hair, and slap on a blue dress.
My science partner is on his way, almost to my apartment.

I quickly shave my legs in the sink, and my heart pumps for the event.
I don’t want to look like I try too hard; it’s not my only stress.
I set the stage like a dollhouse, a regular rudiment.

Go time. I sit on the couch and add my earrings, a simple accent.
He’s going to see my apartment and fall in love. That’s my guess….
My science partner is knocking on the door to my apartment.
The stage is set—just a regular rudiment.

I like his roommate.

I used to but now...

I used to be a brick wall

I used to be a tattered newspaper dated October 4, 1989, but now I am a red diary full of secrets.

I used to be a Virginia soda, but now I am a Michigan pop.

I used to be a brand new roll of toilet paper, but now I am an orange traffic cone—danger!

Pensaba in Español, Aber jetzt habe ich sprechen Deutsch.

I used to build castles out of post-it notes, but now I am an ice cream tree.

I used to be a penny, heads up, in the middle of the street, but now I am a hot dog topped with mustard and ketchup.

I used to be a hot-pink polyester jacket, but now I am a black and white tweed pea coat.

I used to be a garbage truck stuffed with trash, but now I am painted with chemical-free, waterproof, GREEN paint.

I used to be cigarette ashes sprinkled on moldy bread, but now I am hors d’oeuvres served by men in tuxedoes.

I used to be an Italian art song, but now I am a German-dramatic aria. (The fat lady who sings.)

I used to be a garden gnome stuck between a dead robin and crab grass, but now I am a fuzzy lint roller—here to catch fallen morphemes from a vocal war.

I used to be a Magic 8 ball: try again later, but now I am a deck of cards: hearts is trump.

I used to be a little white dove posed on a wedding cake, but now I am a vibrant peacock.

I used to be a dismantled stove, but now I am a willow plate.

I used to be a purple helium balloon lost in space, but now I am a couple of cheetah-print heels struttin’ down the streets of New York City.

I used to be a pair of left-handed scissors, but now I have a pencil stashed behind my ear.

I used to be a crystal chandelier, but now I am a spotlight.

I used to be the wind winding between metallic house chimes, but now I am a canon used to blast through blueberry fields. I scare away the birds.

I used to be a three-pronged fork underneath a pillow, but now I am three hairs—flushed down the toilet.

I used to be the mother of a boy, but now I am a sister to a man.