To Let In the Air

he opens the windows, 

because the brick walls 

seem to love trapping in 

 [ the heat ]

reminiscent of his mother’s arms in youth 

[ but the cold ]

now feels strange, 

detached.

alone, it forces the mind to jump 

from shelter to elsewhere,

[ feeling ]

like the leap from teen 

to adult, it overwhelms 

the blinds, crashing above the sill,

pushing them out to see the sea 

of wind, of bills to pay and 

thoughts to weigh out

  [ of survival, breaking— ]

thrashing through the pages of his calendar

like thoughts he sifts through at night, 

before closing his eyes to find them 

open


— Published on Sad Girl Diaries in 2023

by Kyrin Sturdivant

© Kyrin Sturdivant 2022, All Rights Reserved.

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