Gabe Durham

Holding Up

You return home from a hard time
to find the furniture moved. Duties
accrue politely on the brim of tragedy.
They make room for the tragedy,
but now and then they stage cough.
One day, “I hope you’re doing okay
in this difficult time,” robbed of context
will scan as “Best” or “Yours truly,”
a perennial nicety signifying only
that this is the end of the message.
Remember having enough oxygen to mourn
a pop star who’d departed a little early?
We must stop saying, “Fuck the year it is.”
The pain of this year is no anomaly.
We must instead ratify the present
for the opportunity it has given us
to endure. The children’s hospital
needs more blood, and should have it.

Gabe Durham is the author of three books, including a novel in monologues, FUN CAMP (Publishing Genius, 2013). His writings have appeared in the TLR, Barrelhouse, Hobart, Puerto Del Sol, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles where he runs Boss Fight Books. Fave sweet: chocolate cake w/ butter cream frosting like his mom makes.

… return to Issue 13.2 Table of Contents.