On my way to school that day,
I ran over a baby bird.
His little bones crunched like dry spaghetti and
I back-pedaled to see the corpse
Oh, to flagellate myself a thousand times
for what I’d done!
Inconsolable wailing in the morning
and a blotchy face in PE.
The dead thing rested
all day in my back pack
in the little front pocket, a shameful
hearse.
Back at home we put him in
an empty can of diet coke,
The furnace in which he would be cremated,
I prayed for his soul
Covered in kindling, the little can blazed.
I tried to honor his memory, but
The smell made my mouth water and
I sobbed hard with guilt
Devon Bogucki is an undecided first-year at Penn State University Park, interested in pursuing an English Major. Originally from Northern Virginia, her interests include reading, playing sports, watching movies with friends and writing short stories and poetry. She would describe her writing style as charmingly morbid with a focus on unique imagery. She is honored to be featured in this year’s edition of Klio.