Solitary confinement comes to a crashing end
With the opening of the door,
Bars fade, and up go shadows introducing faces
Mother/father/best friend/friend/roommate
Comes in telling tales of coldness,
I nod, I believe them, the world
Is beyond these walls, and I do not regret
Having remained inside them,
Thinking myself a present in the box,
But then mother/father/best friend/friend/roommate
Talks about their day, wanting their memories
To mix with my domesticated fantasies,
How they worked/spilled coffee/saw properties
All before lunch and then afterwards,
They organized/cleaned their desk/saved the world,
They see me in my pajamas,
And ask what I’ve up to, I’m too tired to explain,
All day I’ve been embellishing to myself,
So I lie and tell them I’ve killed a spider.
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Ben Nardolilli currently lives in Arlington, Virginia. His work has appeared in Perigee Magazine, Red Fez, Danse Macabre, The 22 Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, Elimae, fwriction, THEMA, Pear Noir, The Minetta Review, and Yes Poetry. He has a chapbook, Common Symptoms of an Enduring Chill Explained, from Folded Word Press. He blogs at
mirrorsponge.blogspot.com and is looking to publish his first novel.
Bay Laurel / Volume 2, Issue 1 / Spring 2013