hall monitor
I wear a neon sash
bestowed at birth
One I never asked for
melted sticky to my flesh
I pick at the seam
steamed to my chest
Test peeling it back a bit
my skin hoots
hollers
screams
"Put our sash back!"
No, to take it off
would remove chunks of me
I could never replace
It's there for a reason
Reminding me of my obligatory duty
To observe your emotions.
The shift of an ankle
twitch of a mouth
an exhale too short
too sharp
I stroll
I patrol
all-day
down your hallway
A distant tone here
eye-breaking contact there
I observe
I guage
I act accordingly
Poised to invert or exert
to whatever whim you can't hide
through reddening skin
Are you embarrassed?
I'll coddle
tell you something I did worse
to allow you to laugh
Oh, how this sash hurts!
Are you on edge?
I'll withdraw
flatten into the wall
Hold my sash like a rosary
praying for the next step
This job is not what I dreamed of
but we all have our lot
I remind myself
As I pace through your halls
By Jacqulyn Seyferth
Biography:
Jacqulyn Seyferth is 22 years old and is looking forward to starting her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She loves writing short stories, personal essays, and poetry, along with her own illustrations. Keep up with her on Instagram @jacqulynseyferth.
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