“Lobsters In My Closet” by Vicki Batkin

Photo by Alexis Rhone Fancher

A child in her arms.
Amazing Grace.

I could never understand time.
Constantly looking for reasons
Why it feels so slow
And yet goes by so fast.

So much can happen in just one day
Moments feel like a string of pearls

Some go on forever
There is beauty in that as well

I can’t find humor today
And I only have 18 lines.

My dreams…loud lately
My days heavy
And
My thoughts stuck in the past
Stuck in the pain
Stuck in the sand

But maybe not stuck at all

Old habits mask as thoughts
Forcing the mind to believe
But
It’s not true

They make you think
It’s all real
But it’s not

And
If my suit of armor is on just right
They will ricochet
And right there

I will see beautiful veins
And bloodshot eyes.

Have I mentioned
There are lobsters in my closet?
They’ve been there
Since I was a kid
But
When I checked this morning
There were only 2

Vicki Batkin

(Brandon Lee Bjornson’s mother)

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© 2007