Demi Richardson studied writing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her work has previously appeared or is forthcoming with Broken Tooth Press, Red Flag Poetry, SLAB, Alien Mouth, and Words Dance. DECAF the first story I told you had to do with my father stumbling, and when you walked me home that night you didn’t ask to stay but I let you. at five in the morning I stood on my front steps with the porch light on and watched you get all the way across the parking lot before I called my best friend, woke her up, just to tell her about the way your hands looked bringing coffee back to bed. HOW IT ENDS in a gallery, with you looking sideways at me, and deciding that girls with dark hair and an affinity for Kahlo are girls to steer clear of – or in taxicabs, in hotel rooms, in half-empty bottles of whiskey and artificial loss, my throat is tight with who is she? and why’d you go? you are pouring honey and apologies into your tea (then you stop drinking tea altogether) it ends soft or with another big bang. it ends the way it’s supposed to, without us getting in each other’s way. DOMESTIC PRESSURES Chris said, “You need to find something else to wear.” and my grandfather said, “Look at your hands – they’re blooming flowers.” In the passenger seat of my car, Ryan said, “You are too selfish.” Later, Sam told me we had time – as in, “You don’t have to decide right now.” Andrew said, “I know what you’re saying, even if you don’t think I do.” (I really wish he hadn’t said that.) Jake said, “Come over.” (Later, Jake said, “We shouldn’t have done that. There is a lot that I regret.”) Bryan held my hand in the hospital, told me to “Squeeze when it hurts.” Damon wrote in a letter, “I didn’t hurt you this time around.” Eric said, “Don’t tell her about this.” And I said, “Okay.” I said, “I won’t.” A MAN ON THE TRAIN has white lilies in his arms. He moves his bag so that I may sit, and I ask him where I might find flowers as pretty as his. His English is broken and his skin is brown, which is to say, he is European or South American or Middle Eastern or or or or – I want to tell him, I’m glad you are here – I want to ask Where are you going? instead I say, You have the loveliest flowers. Where can I find flowers as pretty as yours?
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