December 31 Insomnia
by Amy L. George

I wish I could be Houdini.
Free myself from these chains
of your memory.
Emerge from the murky depths
to the wonder and applause
of the audience we once called friends.
The ones who threw the best New Year's parties.

Back when all we could ever wish to get cost nothing.
Back when the flat horizon was as wide as we wanted it to be.

Each day was a plaything.

Until one day, I noticed
blackbirds
had blotted out the sun
and the sky
was midnight without a kiss .

Now Prometheus is my brother.
A raven comes to my bed at night.
Screeching, it claws at your pillow,
tears me open and feeds on my insides.

The clock on the wall ticks, echoing
as he gnaws away
at what might have been.

Amy L. George received her MFA in Creative Writing from National University. Her poetry has been published in various journals including The Orange Room Review, Word Catalyst Magazine, and The GNU and is forthcoming in Pennsylvania English and Poesia. She is the general editor of Bird's Eye reView. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and visiting art museums.

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