It’s been 8 years since
I’ve been down aisle 5
at Walgreens. Shaving Cream/
Razors/Aftershave. I don’t need
a soothsayer to tell me
Gem razor blades cut
my skin like butter.
The pharmacist looks
at my prescription.
I don’t look her in the eye.
My mind meanders to
bacitracin, bandages,
sewing kits. I just have
to pay for my meds
and make it out the door.
Addiction is addiction,
mine is rooted in blood,
stitches, scar tissue that
will never leave me.
My arms tell of a thousand
year sadness; 40 years may
be left in this life;
Nirvana isn’t eternal.

Carrie L. Krucinski lives in Elyria, Ohio with her husband, Steven, and bulldog, Watson. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Ashland University and teaches English at Lorain County Community College.

Read an interview with Carrie here.