Avoidance

by Sarah Thursday

Anything but sit-still

Anything but pencil-to-paper

tell you how I am feeling.

Wash dishes, counters,

deep corners of the sink.

Find every divot

where the paint didn’t stick.

Paint over in different directions

view across angles of lights.

Call a friend, talk, eat, let me

get you a glass, pull up a chair,

cut the grass, make a list,

sharpen the pencils, fold

all the towels, shake out the rugs,

Pet the cat, the cat, the cat.

She needs to be analyzed,

spoken for, comforted.

Shake and shift twist shake

and shift twist. Anything but

sit-still.

* * * * *

Sarah Thursday, in addition to writing poetry, co-hosted 2nd Mondays Poetry Party, ran a poetry website called CadenceCollective.net, and founded Sadie Girl Press as a way to help publish local and emerging poets and artists. She has been published in many fine journals and anthologies, interviewed by Poetry LA, and received a 2017 Best of the Net nomination for “To the Men who told me my Love was not enough.” Her newest poetry book, Conversations with Gravel, is available at SadieGirlPress.com. Find and follow her to learn more on SarahThursday.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.