I’m trying to be reckless with my joy
today I’ve said a few truly frightening things like I think there’s a bee on the back of my neck and
I’m probably still in love with you, but here I am—alive—just with more bee venom than I’d
planned for. right now that feels like a plastic trophy victory or the Thank You Come Again
chorus of grocery bags in checkout lines. when I was young I imaged I could scale the shelves of
supermarkets. now I’m afraid of heights, but more afraid of authority. still, I think if I could
knock these cornflakes out of the way I’d be on top of the world, or at least on top of Whole
Foods, and really what’s the difference? up there, I’d be eating raspberries off the tips of my
fingers or humming dated pop songs over the intercom or reciting poetry to anyone who looked
like you from behind. which, thankfully, is just about everyone.
Emma William-Margaret Rebholz aka Billy is a grad student at Lesley University and a reader at Underblong Journal. Their work has has been recently published by Vagabond City, tenderness lit, Bad Pony, and Spy Kids Review. They probably want to be your friend.