Elizabeth O’Connell-Thompson

Sometimes I Worry About

How often dead things find their way into my bed:
+++++the mouse that swallowed poison,
++++++++++all the sunbugs at my parents’ house,
+++++++++++++++the torn bird under the sheets.

But I do not take them as signs I am a woman cursed.
+++++My doctor sees to it that I bleed every month
++++++++++shares with me a box of apricot rugelach
+++++++++++++++between rounds of tests.

On the hottest days, I swim out to the center of the lake,
++++++++++and all the lives I will lead kick against me.

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Elizabeth O’Connell-Thompson is a poet and photographer based in Chicago where she leads the Wasted Pages Writers’ Workshop Series for the CHIPRC and edits poetry for 3Elements Review. Her work has been published in or is forthcoming from RHINO, Banshee, Contemporary Verse 2, and The Best New British and Irish Poets, among others. Please get in touch at EOTwrites.com