don’t take my word for it [bad advice]
- Jan 28, 2023
- 1 min read
by Nicholas Barnes
cower from your gothic rockabilly mind.
be horrified by those judging, stranger stares.
hold it back when letting it out is all that counts.
be unwilling to disco dance on the blacktop.
push it all down.
stifle tears at the movies.
avoid getting cat hair on your clothes even if it means purring and whiskers.
fear the planes soaring overhead as if they’re bearing nukes.
reject what meets your gaze in a stormy puddle’s machinations.
be terrified to put your shoulders back and walk high as mountains do.
savage your senses.
deny that deep well of vulnerability, your soft white corpus must remain private.
scurry from thoughts left-of-the-dial.
be scared to speak velvet words.
second guess your burning cinnamon getup.
be reluctant to take your shirt off at the sandy beach.
shy away from ugly crying, retching, heaving in the shower.
be ashamed to ask for a hug.
put your feelings on layaway.
be afraid to care.
be so hard.
Nicholas Barnes earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Southern Oregon University. He is currently working as an editor in Portland, and enjoys music, museums, movie theaters, and rain. His least favorite season is summer. His favorite soda is RC Cola.
