55 Stitches by Catherine Meara

55 Stitches

​Fat Girl’s swollen fingers finally find a CD the glow of her song in the air
waking Catatonic Man who belts out the tune better than Mariah
eliciting joyful giggling glances pinging from one eye to another after his
serenade he lowers his head back to his knees his hands whispering
quivers there is no reaching him Elvis has left the building…

Normal Looking Girl who slashed her neck in a blackout rakes the
lounge with baby-blue reality-lost disbelief-fog eyes hangs tight to a
plastic cup full of Ginger Ale originally from a can wow no cans
shoelaces pens bras jewelry metal nail files stabbing tearing hanging
items its happened before gory violence red soon in restraints doctors
nurses whoever silently screaming at each other with big swoopy
hands outside the quiet room I am calm cool collected insane…

Screaming Man big guy throws himself at doors at walls imploring
demanding crying to go home defeated surrounded by orderlies and
men in black copish suits with copish radios a shot in his ass sleeping
calm cool collected suddenly awake shuffles into our realm invading
our snug clan a Russian spy eyeballing all around disappearing in the
couch in the wall he slowly enters our fucked-up version of a micro
society if he says the wrong thing or acts the wrong way banned gone
sayonara don’t act crazy on the psych ward where ravaged normality
is coveted…

55 Stitches Man vertically cut each palm half way up both arms the
bandages gone all kinds of pain written in tiny metal clamps holding all
of him together bloated hands gently holding fork cup suicide he says
to quickly eyes and feet dancing electronically in no real pattern not
looking at his arms not looking down…

Sick green walls that vomit the floor shiny white beige treaded slippers
scrape along the endless square around the unit can’t lift their fucking
feet that fucking sound follows me darting around the shadowed
corners evil cheating cat’s eyes creeping around toward me tail’s
twirling winding around the legs of the table in my room fear giant
fear…

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 Bio: Catherine has her BA degree in Professional Writing in English from Carlow University. She has had numerous short stories and non-fiction published. In continuing to write vigorously, she puts all of herself into expression and words. Writing is her savior, experience her muse.

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