December Elegy
The sun rises again & biting cold
slithers in, air crystalizes sharp
in my lungs with each drag
I take. Days turn
into three years since &
the wound still festers deep, burns hot
& angry, seething & baring
its teeth. Another tally etched
on the board, another arduous
night of restless rumination. I wonder
if it ever ends or lessens, but my
suspicions point south.
Time still plays its foul game
& memory runs fast away—
but my mouth opens of its own volition,
it sings with moments not yet faded,
fastidious melodies of romping through
muddy woods, the rhythmic pounding of our feet,
chimes of giggles, & the reckless beats
of a carefree heart. She did not know yet
what she stood to lose, her love effortless
with no qualms for the consequences.
Every day I ask myself if it is worth it—
this loving & losing & hurting
& every day I answer yes.
Ella Singer is a junior English (creative writing) major with a museum studies minor at SUNY Geneseo. Her work draws large inspiration from her hometown, Saratoga Springs, though she has yet to write about horses. In her spare time, she enjoys making mix CDs, listening to the Romeo & Juliet (1996) soundtrack, and watching Lady Bird.