i walk down la calle
   since nature is the BEST medicine
       for the insane –

but all i’m met with
is apparitions of faces –
hollow skin with optic reflection,
small noses—i think of a button,
curved lips carved into a stiff frown
that speak in a taut, scraping voice,
wretched eyes that are open wide,
a woebegone visage that’s destined
to haunt you—then exterminate the
happy ass that lurks inside of you.

i observe the flock move languidly
down la calle –
bodies like sticks and rocks,
moving one little step at a time.

i turn around and bolt away,
like a rock thrown into a river,
shouldn’t i feel lucky?
i find myself in a garage –
an empty, shrinking garage.
i leap to the door that promises
refuge, only to find it locked.

i POUND and POUND on that door,
awaiting luck to find me, save me –

and when that knob twists open,
i think i’m saved, free from the horror
outside.

my mouth opens to say thanks,
and my eyes dart up, excited to
meet the individual who had
such grace to invite me in.

“thank-”
-

i guess we are our own worst enemy.

Writer's Statement: M.S. Blues is one of the most decorated figures in the literary magazine community. She currently serves on 21 magazine boards and has over 250 publications. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of DICED Online, the Co Editor-in-Chief of The Beaulieu Gazette, and the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of The Infinite Blues Review. In addition to her many literary endeavors, she is a college student, the host of an upcoming podcast called expresiones melancólicas, and the Founder/Director of her non-profit, Melancholic Ignition. She resides in the Bay Area, California. Her first book, Collected Works, is currently available on Amazon. Her Instagram is @m.s.blues_