I don't care about the flowers but I care about their journey to me down a conveyor belt at the grocery store after you clocked out of work, gingerly scanned by a cashier with long unkempt hair concealing their name tag, carried up your icy steps, petals protected by a plastic casing that rustles against your beard, set in plain sight on your coffee table surrounded by acrylic paints and empty Modelo's.
I don't care about the orchids on splints two days past Valentine's Day but I care about how you reach for me in the dark when our bodies are no longer playful and the sound of the highway drowns out our breathing, renders the endless night to a strained fugue, a half-dried painting of desire, the only love I can readily entertain makes me search your hair for grays and wake hungry sucking on your thumb.
About the Creator
Erin Shea
New Englander
Grad Student
Living with Lupus and POTS
Instagram: @somebookishrambles
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (3)
"but I care about how you reach for me in the dark when our bodies are no longer playful " such a great line!
Your perseverance is both admirable and motivating. Keep forging ahead!
Such a wistful, dreamlike yearning through twilight years together. Simply beautiful, Erin.