I can’t remember what I am doing here.
The flickering lights above me tell me they don’t either.
And the lady, whose eyes used to choke me with memories, is staring at the door,
mimicking the opening and closing of the past as she rocks back and forth.
I wonder if she hears the echo of footsteps
or the buzz of whispers stuck in my left ear.
Maybe not.
The door hasn’t opened in a long time
and the cold linoleum hallways swallow
dust instead of tears now.
The shadows still come to shake my hand,
which is nice because the lady only stares.
The corners of the room are scorched from fires I don’t understand.
I find that peculiar because the saltwater has reached my ankles.
I kind of like the water. I can see my bones rocking back and forth,
and that’s how I know I’m still real.
But the lady in the window is crying so I yell for her light
but my yells turn into murmurs and the murmurs turn into shadows
that pulls me down into the water.
So I bang my fists on the window and so does she
and I guess she is strong because the mirror shattered.
The shards of my mistakes tickle my skin,
laughing blood,
as I wade in the water of my tears.
I still don’t remember why I am here
but I hope someone opens the door real soon.
Bless your heart,
Gloria
Laura Ospina is a sophomore at a boarding school in Massachusetts. In her writing, Laura likes to explore how her family and Colombian heritage have shaped her identity. Besides writing poetry, Laura enjoys reading and learning about constitutional law.
Visual Art By: Samantha Jui-Yun Su