My Writing, Poetry

Ticks and Clicks

Rachel Sandell

Did I write a poem about a headache? Yes. Yes, I did. I was feeling so uncomfortable, that I even managed to write it all down at the worst part of the headache. I’d say it was worth it. Enjoy!

***

Ticks and Clicks

Minutes tick,

click, like bugs’ legs,

scuttling, needling, crawling

across crusty tabletops.

A woman presses

her thumb into

the crease of my forehead,

digs her nail into the skin

right above my eyes.

My head is full of fuzz

and tears

that I don’t feel;

they leak

out of one eye,

an irritated red

as ticking clicks

like bugs’ legs

in my head.

 

Photo by Aliyah Jamous on Unsplash

Published by Rachel Sandell

Rachel Sandell is a writer and editor from Washington State, where rainy days necessitate long books, hot chocolate, and plenty of magic. Though she specializes in speculative fiction and harbors a love for the dark and enchanting, she also dabbles in poetry and is the archive project coordinator for Fireweed: Poetry of Oregon. She is an MFA graduate from the Rainier Writing Workshop, and her short stories have appeared in SORTES magazine, Night Picnic Press, and Leading Edge magazine.