A Warm Place

By Alex Berman

A story about barnyard animals who used to be friends.

I hate that we can’t talk like we used to
because of the way that she kicked and the way that she could not be broken

But it’s undeniable that
I’ve had a very bad fall,
and my back hurts to breathe.

She has made you a casualty but I don’t think you know it

And I’m sorry about your heart and all the parts of you spilled on the pavement.
I’d pick them all up if you’d let me.

It’s because my bones cracked when she made cry that
they rebreak again when you make me laugh

But I’ll try to differentiate because
what I want more than anything is
to be in a warm place again.

Process

My mentor told me about a prompt from The Artist’s Way called the Hall of Monsters, where “monsters” (as well as heroes in your life) are made into characters. I ended up drawing pictures of people I knew, or rather what they feel like to me. Because sometimes a person feels less like a person and more like a stampede of horses. I compiled these drawings and a short poem about my experiences with the people they represent into a digital zine format.