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Lauren R Apr 2016
Day 1: You're always shaking, you're like the grass under the whirring blades of a lawnmower. I laugh at that. You're so funny when you can't breathe. You're so funny with your scars, hidden beneath sleeves like white soldier grave stones, underneath a blanket of shaking grass, tall grass, dead grass, laughing grass, long forgotten names. Like, like, firing squad death row under sheets of blood- no- fallen brick walls. Civilians, awaiting rescue. You tug at your shirt awkwardly, I am staring.

Day 6: What are you asking me now? What? Them? No, they don't hate you. The stars with molars, canines, and needles out their sides don't at least. You're asking me about the fish? Scales, fins, aquatic? The star fish with self-esteem issues doesn't mind you. He's just selfish. The narcissistic parrot fish loves you as much as her own reflection. The high strung cat fish is kinda infatuated. He's something else. The shark? She thinks you're ****, but don't tell her I said that. You won't? You never do. I like that about you.

Day 23: You been okay? You haven't been asking much about me lately. Me? Funny you should ask. I'm not sick. Not now. Haven't tried to bash my skull in in a week, it's progress. You? Oh ****, that's too bad. I wish you'd stop opening up your forearms. I wish you'd just stop popping pills like after Chinese food dinner mints, bursting them in your stomach to spread like fog, milky white to drown out whatever your drawing from your wrists.

Day 72: You're drunk again? Jesus, what will it take for me to leave you? You've already bitten the hand that feeds too many times you sloppy wolf puppy you. I mean, sure I waved it in front of your face but don't you know your own teeth? *******, quit throwing up and get back to work, paint me a pretty picture pathetic *****. Put down the knife or broken glass or razor or whatever the ****, I don't want to do that anymore it stopped being interesting after like, the fifth time. Yeah I know I said I cared! I know I said I wouldn't stop caring, wouldn't leave you! But have you ******* seen yourself? Go ahead kid, count those scars, make some more, whatever you do in that basement of yours. I can't stand you! I can't stand your stupid brain, you're always crying what's up with that? How old are you now? Right. My point exactly. Jesus Christ, shut up for once.

Day 95: No wait- ****- sorry. I didn't realize. Hey, you know what sweetheart? Let's shake hands. Your end of the deal? I won't be the reason you **** yourself, you stop making your arms look like bulldog wrinkle jowls, or like, sliced bread, cracked sidewalk, blistered vein soup, running like drippy little kid noses, whatever- just make it stop. I won't tell you all the ways you fall short in 3 words or less. Deal? Deal.

Day 103: Just kid- keep breathing. I won't do it for you. See ya', have fun ******* yourself up and over.
A conversation with anxiety or alternately, the only way I've ever seen mentally ill people be loved
Lauren R Apr 2016
Sometimes I am so small

That my china doll ribs jut out past my stomach.

Sometimes I am so large that I want to tear out what makes me human.

Sometimes I admire the light,

Filtering in, onto my unmade bed.

Sometimes the cat hair meadow of my sheets makes me sneeze.

Sometimes I am fascinated by the unevenly dyed surface of my best friends hair.

Or her joyous joke laughter, light foundation.

Sometimes I howl at the moon;

I always want more. Nothing is ever enough and I have gotten more than I have deserved, yes, kept people too long, yes.

I have seen bruises of soft wine and duckling down, speckled rain water.

I have cracked the surface of surly boys, whining puppies with oily fur. I have held the tender hand of mishap girls, so beautiful and lamb-like in their pews of unholy sea swept locks, so blonde and so mahogany.

Sometimes, when my calico flashes her teeth at me, ivory from peach, I kiss her nose.

I miss the womb of first falling in love, falling into her hands, her painted fingernails. Her supple palms like seashells.

I have fallen gracefully into a lake of eternity and entropy, a bed of callalilies and the ripples above me form framed pictures of people I only see in dreams.

— The End —