The Secret of the Old Clock
Leave a commentOctober 1, 2023 by The Citron Review
by RJ Equality Ingram
All seven of my grandparents convened
In the hospital the day after the accident
Attendance mandatory mom made sure
A teachers pet who longed to be a nun
I hung onto my grandparents w/ a strong
Fear of disappointing myself that smelled
Like BLTs & unsweetened iced teas really
Stuck in that smooth diner time between
Dusk & breakfast a purgatory introducing
Mom’s wicked stepmother to her in-laws
And when that ticking watch she married
Asked who his ex-wife was I finally woke
One eye assessing nothing from behind
A wilted turban bandages reeking of sex
RJ Equality Ingram lives in Portland, Oregon & works as a used bookseller for Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette. RJ received their MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary’s College of California. Their debut poetry collection The Autobiography of Nancy Drew is forthcoming from White Stag Publishing in 2024. Recent work can be found in Deep Overstock, Catchwater Magazine & Miniskirt Magazine. RJ’s cat Brenda lost a leg catching fireflies.
The Citron Review 