Honorable Mention – 2022 Beverly Hopkins Contest for High School Students

Kick Me While I’m Down

by NICHOLAS MERLO
Crossroads College Preparatory School

Yesterday a shelf in my fridge fell off
the contents of the shelf
a mix of condiment bottles i never use
and a few sauce packets
i received from an order of chinese food
that i had stashed
and subsequently forgotten about
spilled onto the floor
i had been meaning to get the shelf fixed
having haphazardly taped it
which had come loose over time
i watched it
day by day as the tape weakened
first with the outer corners peeling upwards
as if in some strange prayer to the fluorescent light
that stands at the top of the fridge
looking down on its mighty congregation 
of rotten produce
and old pizza boxes
next the grip began to loosen
the shelf slowly sagging
until eventually hanging only by a thread
swaying slightly
before it
snapped
causing the spill
yesterday i spent nine hours chained to my bed
unable to even sit up
for there was a hand holding me down
its callouses unfamiliar
it scares me 
how i had not realized my hands
had become so rough
yesterday a shelf in my fridge fell off
the contents of the shelf
a mix of condiment bottles i rarely use
and a few sauce packets
i received from an order of chinese food
that i had stashed
and subsequently forgotten about long ago
spilled onto the floor
one of the sauce packets stares up at me
the happy buddha on its cover faded
its smile rubbed away
i don’t know how much more of this
i can really take

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