The Rest Cure

by JAMIE O’BRIEN | 3rd Place, student poetry contest

Like a newborn calf, I am force-fed milk
And massaged daily to prevent atrophy
A stain on the ceiling resembles a silhouette

“You’re spoiled rotten,” the nurse says, funneling milk down my throat
I am too absent to respond
Accustomed to stillness, a plump belly, the click of a locked door
My thoughts and opinions crammed behind my molars

But in my dreams, I am awake:
It is a crisp spring day, an open window combing my hair, the breeze cupping my face
And the mark on the ceiling is my soul waiting to be caught
Click—I reach out to touch it

Ω

Beginning from the first time she read Bill Wallace’s Buffalo Gal in elementary school, Jamie O’Brien has always known her love for writing. Outside of the literary world, she loves music and fashion and is often seen wearing long skirts and different variations of Mary Jane shoes.

LeAnn Lucero writes: “In this photo we see the beauty of slowing down in life, looking at every aspect in a simple life. Let us find beauty in the small things of life. From walking through the park, to ordering coffee, to simple reading a novel. How beautiful are the small things in life.”