Katherine Welch

The Object Being Crushed Beneath Me

I can sleep almost anywhere.

I can get comfortable in strange positions and

places and I used to find this impressive–

bragging about how little I could rest and eat

and live, but lately, I have been concerned

that my mattress is wearing unevenly

because I can’t take up space on both sides.

And even with this knowledge I feel

bad for the mattress and not myself because

now I am acutely aware of the object being

crushed beneath me. I consider

the weight of my hips and wonder

how much damage they have done by existing.


Katherine Welch is a senior studying international relations at SUNY Geneseo. She spends lots of time journaling little poems, and a dear friend of hers from home (Webster, NY) encouraged her to share some with Gandy Dancer. If you ask nicely, she will probably knit you a scarf.