Void
by Ava Yergo

Brain: blank nothing nada niet
Empty to capacity
Try to make something from nothing
But, no

The brain won’t function
The words won’t come
The pen won’t write.

And when it’s time
The words won’t form
The tongue won’t work
Letters,
Vowels,
Consonants,

Syllables,

Words,


Nouns,


Verbs,


Sentences,



Stanzas,



Lines,




Paragraphs,




Essays
All jumble together to form that clump that clogs my throat,
Forbidding any noise to come through.

My pulse pounds
My breathing quickens
The blood rises in my cheeks, neck, my entire face.
I start to shake
Does anyone see?
Can anyone notice the tomato-red mess of a girl dreading her turn to speak?
No,
Maybe,
Yes?
She’s forced to open her mouth
Her tongue and lips resent the words,
And they all race to be freed from the clog
With a sigh of relief to push the just-spoken that tiny bit farther away from her.

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