By Payton Kuhn
She lives, stuck, in a kitchen
where thick smoke hangs in the stale air
and sticks to the brown cabinet doors.
Every inhale leaves her lungs protesting
in anguish at her mother’s cigarettes
that balance off her thin painted lips.
The dirty dishes pile in the sink
and the grime collects on the counters.
She lives, uneasy, in a living room
where a whiskey bottle is permanently attached
to the wooden table next to her father’s chair.
Every night, her eyes water as she watches
his brain rot like burning acid until all
his decisions are as coherent as a melting candle.
The dust gathers next to the bottle and
the musty smell creeps from the chair.
She lives, exhausted, in a bedroom
where her head is shoved between a pillow
and the mattress. Her ears bleed
from the arguments that send an earthquake
rolling through the foundations
and tearing her family apart limb from limb.
The door squeaks on its hinges and
the cold draft sweeps under her blanket.
Was selected for Kalliope 2021 as well.
Payton Kuhn is a sophomore majoring in forensic biology and minoring in creative writing. She likes to read, travel, and meet new people. Her favorite tv show is “Friends,” and she loves finding new places to go hiking. It’s on her bucket list to go hike Mount Nittany this summer!