
Flux Magazine
"Good Friend" by Kajsa Palacios
You said nature metaphors were played-out, and I agreed.
How could I not?
Your power over me was unmatched and unchecked,
A howling tornado on an Iowan plain.
You told me cats were better than dogs
because they had more dignity
I agreed with my entire clumsy being,
Stumbling over affirmations like a golden shepherd on a polished hardwood floor
You’d wonder aloud about the purpose of God,
“And if he’s even real, dude, like y’know what I mean?”
Your half-cocked attempt at being profound
Had been my naïve soul’s newest revelation.
You started seeing a girl
And talked about your first time.
I’d congratulate you and hang on to the details,
Hiding my envy behind a practiced smile.
You got a scholarship to a school out of state
And left me in my car at the airport
With a hug.
Just a hug.