big 1
been familiarizing myself with the tops of elevators lately, cause you never know, and I’m an optimist; always imagined disasters in daylight. my husband started knocking on wood each night when I forget. I keep moving the heavy houseplants further in to their shelves so they might not drop on the cat. I didn’t water them for 2 months, didn’t deposit $800 worth of cheques for 2 months either, but I went to the dentist cause my jaw aches like a fault line. when I moved here I wrote a poem about the city tipping sideways and never finished it. sometimes I fall asleep with my heart racing. sometimes I organize my wishes like they’re not a secret, and to stay humble I put at the bottom, “die while the sun is up,” if I can’t die old or accomplish what I want before then. below that is “under a full moon,” “on a clear sky,” and barring all of those, “fast.” I tell the stars no worries if not
I never know how to talk to kids
I ask them if their school has any mysteries: do the barred courtyards have any monsters? what ghost stories do you have for that one weird bathroom with the showers? have you been to the basement? does the janitor creep you out and do you feel bad about that? how often are you scratched by the inside of a bush? do strangers stare at you (do you stare at them)? do you sometimes smell a candle burning out? do you have to sleep against a wall? have you ever woken up looking at yourself?
my cat watches the computer monitor
Hello maia I love you very much you are such a good little kitty see? I love you I love you I love you
Juls studies English and writing at University of Victoria. You can find her work in HAD magazine so far.
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