Upstairs

“ColorIkoshiexl2024” by Cynthia Yatchman

He told me to lead with my knees.
I thought it was inappropriate.
What if my mask slipped and a part of me was exposed?

A shopping bag carrying stomach acid,
A window frame shaped like a cross,
The judges face staring back.

There was no love like hate, no hate like love,
no curtains on the house opposite us.

People spilled into each other,
Private little Luther's,
On their hands and knees,
Crawling through the window, through me.

I should care about who goes upstairs,
And in what order.
But I was made to go down,
The apples and pears.

About the Author

Liam Chimba (He/Him) is a graduate of Creative Writing and Philosophy from the University of Chichester. He lives on the East coast of England. Published in Fugitives & Futurists and Peatsmoke Journal.

about the artist

Cynthia Yatchman is a Seattle based artist and art instructor. She shows extensively in the PaciNic Northwest. Past shows have included Seattle University, the Tacoma and Seattle Convention Centers and the PaciNic Science Center. Her art is housed in numerous public and private collections.