Oat Milk & Other Alternate Endings
you tousle your hair, messy hair, hair fringed & torn
to breaking. when i say you
i mean me. myself, in a bathtub of lukewarm water,
all the bubbles gone, stagnant, trying to sleep.
sugar, caffeine, the hot water you rushed to heat before
you got here. maybe, you should have added dairy
or some sort of milk alternative, before now.
before you placed your foot
in the water followed by your legs,
your whole body. not your head.
think the straight cut of scissors across your forehead,
your hair collapsing onto your naked lap, think about you
and not me. think about
ladybugs on an april morning or boys
in late june, who wear golden yellow
swim trunks. perhaps consider spooning
as an alternative to fucking
or the logical next step.
or how in yourself there is more
than this iced coffee with oatmilk
you accidentally spilled in the bath,
so you could fuck with your hair.
is the light in this room too bright? was this even
a good idea? would the boys
or the ladybugs even recognize you?
Cover photo by Bernadetta Watts
