Neutrality

by Marlee Cox

You taste sweeter than placebo pills—though, you’re
not much better at taking the edge
off, darling. Hold my hand but go no
further. You are here; I am… somewhere.

That is a miracle of
circumstance. That is so much.

You did it on purpose. You
live in that blue house on purpose. You
uncoiled my mind on purpose.

Good job, bringing a stick to a
knife-fight—that’s usually
my move. I need to tell you: I met someone else,
someone who sketches cross-sections of the brains of
salivating dogs in a monogrammed moleskine. I need for you to know: I would
never have let you teach me to
ski in the Alps.

I have seen one too many
avalanches to play those games.

But I wish you the best of luck. Each time I hear
the cough of cannons, some under-evolved corner of my mind
will salivate.

* * * * *

In 2011 Marlee Cox at age 15 won one of the Glass Woman Prize awards for her story "Collapse."