Numbers 4, 5, and 6
Kelly Park #4: Mark, 1994 A California beach, where I ran through wet sand, and horizons covered in early morning fog. Coming back to our overpriced studio apartment on a boat-lined canal swigging orange juice from the plastic container before fucking him awake. Two years later, we said goodbye over a tear-streaked phone call and I wanted to die – to walk off into the ocean on a foggy morning tide. #5: Austin, 1996 Another Cali beach just up the coast, we hid away for a couple of months both of us in pieces we took comfort in each other’s brokenness. Long moments deep in the night desperately trying to glue each other back together. The hours we spent just being quiet, anchored to that beige couch and running my hands through your hair over and over and over and you letting me. I could have loved you forever, but we were still shattered inside. We said goodbye standing in a door frame -- your words echo in my mind – I should have kissed you one. more. time. #6: the alcoholic, 1998 Norfolk side streets gritty with sand, the Atlantic ugly and thrashing. Too drunk to run I walked for hours. Avoiding the two bedroom lead painted hole in the wall where he would be drunk – chasing his only true love - alcohol, sometimes I still check the obits hoping he’s dead already and it’s been two decades. I drove away from him on a Saturday morning – stopping only to throw the ring into a ditch. This time I felt alive. |
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About the Author: Kelly Park is full-time student currently working on completing a double-major in Creative Writing and Interdisciplinary Art and Design at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. By majoring in both, her goal is to merge writing and art into thought provoking multi-media pieces. As an “older-than-average” student she is a firm believer in chasing one’s dreams. She lives in McKinney, TX with her husband and her dog who happens to have one blue eye.