List

I wake in a fog of last night’s cheap red wine, and even after I’ve managed to make the coffee I forget to drink it. Sort through the evening’s conversation to make sure I remember how ridiculous they may have been; everything is giggles if you want it. I say yes to the Caribbean. A new story writes itself in my head while I walk home from the grocery store. I look people in the eye as they pass me and wonder if they know what it’s like to have magic inside your chest.

Later, in a quiet west village duplex, I pile lists on top of each other. A new year begins, a clean slate of possibility and adventure. I flex my muscles, test my lungs in the clear air, I had a dream last night that broke my heart but it did not break me. 

I do not breathe like I never felt fear.
I breathe like I felt fear,
and decided to live regardless.