Threadbare Von Barren (excerpt)
Nicolle Elizabeth

3.

I am in love with a theory, the math involved makes no sense. The answer is 50/50.

4.

We are on borrowed money, oxygen, and enthusiasm.

5.

the escalator was made of glass, it moved up, i held on. on the other side, a tiny old man passed me and smiled, he had rainbows in his eyes, i said yes, i'd like a cola but he kept riding down, i kept riding up. at the top they gave me a drug test and said i was hired as a temp i said i didn't want it they said yes you did put on this football helmet and get ready for life.

6.

Draw an ascending line and walk it.

7.

I dove under the water and found a solar system. I tried to spin Saturn's rings but they didn't move, it felt like some kind of plaster. It was dark but the planets were all lit up, I saw my hair floating in the shadow and wondered how it'd gotten so long. A crab rode by I said hey dude he said something in french. Below our feet, there was wine in the castle, I snuck in to the servant's quarters I said I'm the press here to interview Queen Anne Boleyn, we've discovered invitro, they said she went broke after the stock in her lace flowers plummeted I said I can be her son they said lady get out.

8.

when i walked into the room to look, he had hung tiny crystals from fishing wire all over the place and the paint smelled like plants. i tried to kiss him but he was already up in the hot air balloon yelling for the sea turtles to come in for brunch. awooooogah awoooo awoaahh that's whale talk for i love you.

9.

you've changed your hair you've changed your face you've changed your bookshelf you've changed your phone number you've changed your day to day your coffee guy moved somewhere else you've changed how funny you were you've changed how you touch my hand you've changed how the hair on my neck doesn't react to you anymore you've changed how you walk you've changed what you've done to me.

10.

Julie Andrews was dancing and singing it was cold we were on a hill in Park Slope by we I mean we and it was night she was in front of a graveyard Santa showed up with some serious looking reindeer they were really something they didn't come near me he flew up into the sky I searched for the word for bottom of the toboggan and thought about slitting my neck.

11.

It started when I forced myself into holding pencils differently. I was trying to be something I can't. I'd be terrible in your office.

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