spikes

hurtling along in a hypoglycemic warp through cinnamon scent of south carolina pines dry grass stretches brown and the sky is white and sharp twenty minutes gone by like two U2 beats like my blood wailing cacophonous grind it’s too loud it’s just noise highway screams under the truck doing 90 in 70 and it feels like I leap along in jolts sun glares off signs and windshields it slices my eyes I jerk away burned eating swiss cheese sandwiches from home huge bites barely chewing hands shaking bought fireworks at the last stop thoughts of sparkling chickens laying eggs crawling crabs roman candles and spinning whining things hot wind is roaring through the windows music is pounding it’s almost too much I am floating outside myself I am not real I am afraid I’m afraid push through push through push through the edge is just the edge fall off fall off I’m pushing through bars and spikes of my mind driving away to wash my sins in the sea I pass under a green heron flying the same way as me blood sugar comes up and I start to come down I am not the same

[Alicia entered ASU’s Creative Writing program, but left for a job offer before taking any writing classes. Originally from Boone, she’s lived in the Asheville area for about three years. This is Alicia’s first time submitting her poetry; we expect to hear more from her.]