She rolled over and faced King, pulling the blanket closer around her feet. She ran her fingers through his beard. It took up half of his face and she liked the scruffy feel on her fingers.
King moved his face and kissed her open palm and she uttered to him, “You’re so beautiful.” Did he care that she described him with a feminine word? He didn’t mutter a complaint.
“Thank you.” He rubbed his face in her hand and she caressed his chin, his beard tickling her, “You’re so gorgeous.”
Her lips twitched at his words. “Stop it. You don’t…
I woke up at 7 AM
My nervous system
Ignored the melatonin pill
I swallowed 4 hours ago
The butterflies in my stomach
Created an effect with their wings
Making it hard for me to drift off
-
It’s been years since I woke up before the alarm. I have nothing to be worried about and everything to be happy for. I set it for 9, but I’m up now. I look over to my phone and there you are. We fell asleep on FaceTime.
-
I’m in piece
And I’m in peaces
Replaying your words,
“Because I still like…
Death isn’t happy.
It isn’t funny.
It shouldn’t make you laugh.
Look at me.
Snorting and screaming and slapping arms because
I’m over it.
Grateful.
-
The deaths of friendships
…
When’s the last time you had sex, when’s the last time you got tested?
And the last time you had sex, did you have it while protected?
His words were never said to me
His words were only read by me
I should have known
But was never told
Too late because he’s dead to me
-
…
The last time I fell in love, utterly and irrevocably, I stayed for a year and a half. I spent the final five months, deciding on the finale. And once…
They don’t tell you
How much you’ll want them to be in love so you can give them the chance of writing the story that will change everything
How you pray to God daily for the strength to be good
How you fear making mistakes that leave scars, always wondering which antagonist will be modeled after you
-
They don’t tell you
-
How badly you’ll want to be the king of their story
How you’ll scan every word, every letter, focused on the italics and the bolds,
Trying to analyze what they say
Trying to find the parts of…
We know the once upon a time story
—
Girls in the kitchen, boys go to work
Boys learn to punch while we learn to hurt
—
Men go to…
Can’t even look in the mirror without
My reflection hiding from me
Can’t put pen to paper
With my words erasing on me
Can’t speak out loud
Without my mind…
No one tells you about the after.
After the anger.
After the emotions.
After the apologies.
What happens when you’re faced with the possibility of returning to the pre-them time?
Before you dreamt of them?
Before you watched yourself in the mirror,
Uttering their last name with your first?
Before you spent countless nights
Telling sleep to leave you behind
Because of the awake moments with them?
What happens when you get over the bad?
During the silent treatments, moments
During the conversation that feels off
During the empty feeling in your chest because now you know
While you spent…
Opeyemi Ojo (OPME)
Opeyemi Ojo took a hiatus from poetry to focus on a newfound love for short stories. She soon returned to poetry, proving that you never forget your first.
