Jacket: on. Boots: laced and tight. Sweatshirt and sweatpants: saggy for loose maneuvering.
I’m on the midnight prowl. I’ll start on sidewalks—dry and crackled. Dirtied with sticks of emptied lollipops. I’ve got four eyes. One: my left. Two: my right. Three: my flash-lighted forehead. Four: the heavy moon. My third eye is most helpful. It determines my path. It differentiates between pavement and grass.
I cross my arms and continue to walk. I heave air in. I puff air out. My heart beats, but half-heartedly. I’m a half. A one-piecer. Am I missing a one? A thing? A someone-thing to finish what’s left of me? Am I in search of a whole being? A ready-made or body parts? A hand here, a torso there. Toes and fingers from underneath piles of pebbles found in the river two streets down. Hair amongst hay that sits with cows on countrysides. Eyes from fresh flowers at my local nursery.
Maybe I’ll purchase a packet of seeds. Take it home to my backyard and dig a small hole. Drop in all the seeds like ants crowding a tiny bowl full of food. Fill the hole with dirt and water. And there I’ll sit: cross-legged and patient. Shining my forehead to spotlight the spot from where my someone will grow.
I’ll wait in the dark, and I’ll wait in the light. I’ll wait until dirt moves like blood cells and a wave of hair emerges from the ground like stalks of corn ready for harvest. Waiting with my three lighted eyes. One: my third. Two: my fourth. Three: the birthing sun.
Ashley Sgro has always been infatuated with words and writing. She dedicates her time to literary fiction, poetry, and compiling manuscripts for both genres. Ashley earned a B.A. in English/Writing from Kean University and currently lives in New Jersey. Visit her at ashleysgro.com.
Hope Christofferson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. She spent her childhood in the woods, surrounded by nature which served to spark a love for fairy tales. Having an interest in traditional mediums, her works primarily consists of watercolor. The core of her current practice lies in telling a visual narrative that invites viewers to gaze into an imagined reality. She also works with clay as a three-dimensional method of bringing fictionalized creatures from mythology into the world.
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