Somehow I Had To Turn The Salted

Some Things Just Won’t Go Away, No Matter How Hard You Scrub.

If I Poured All The Lies I Had Told Into The Mississippi, The River Would Rise And Flood The City.

I Shut The Bathroom Door And Caught Sight Of My Face In The Mirror. I Had No Idea How Quickly It Was To Change, To Fade. If I Had, I Would Have Stared At My Reflection, Memorizing It. It Was The Last Time I Would Look Into A Real Mirror For More Than A Decade.

I Stared At The Enormous Homes, The Landscaping And Flower Beds Immaculate. It Was As If Dollar Bills, Instead Of Leaves, Hung From The Trees.

My Breathing Slowed. I Shaded Her Thick Chestnut Hair Resting In A Smooth Curve Against Her Face, A Large Bruise Blazing Across Her Cheek. I Paused, Looking Over My Shoulder To Make Certain I Was Alone. I Drew Her Eye Makeup, Smudged By Tears. In Her Watery Eyes I Drew The Reflection Of The Commander, Standing In Front Of Her, His Fist Clenched. I Continued To Sketch, Exhaled, And Shook Out My Hands.