Friday, February 7, 2025

It's When You Stop Looking By Skaja Evens


Taking a long drink of his whiskey and cola

Driving along the winding backroads

I find myself more adventurous with him

A little more reckless


He’s telling stories in between songs, and we laugh

Him at my reactions to his antics and me at his laughter

Anything for levity in light of difficult circumstances

And the heavy weight of mortality


I’ve considered leaving so many times, only to strengthen my 

choice to stay until one of us is gone.

Cognitive dissonance ringing loudly at who I should be, and 

who I really am. Good versus bad. Light versus darkness.

And not seeing the differences between the versions.


We hold hands and I feel a comforting connection. Trying 

hard to burn the memories into my mind.


There are moments I wish I knew how long I had left. Or how

 much time was left with him. I don’t know if I’d dwell on it,

 anxiously trying to live as much life as possible before it’s 

gone. It seems useless to make that wish.

I’m grieving the loss of him while he’s still here, and I know 

I’m not ready for him to be gone. I never thought I’d want 

someone so much while gluing the shards of my heart back 

together. I don’t know why it’s him. Why I want things I 

swore I’d never want again.


The very next minute I’m cursing him, at how infuriated he 

makes me. How he prides himself at being a blunt asshole.


Maybe he didn’t expect me either, and it threw everything 

sideways.





Skaja Evens is a Best of the Net-nominated writer living in SE Virginia. Her work has appeared in Medusa's Kitchen, The Rye Whiskey Review, Synchronized Chaos, Mad Swirl, Spillwords Press, Ink Pantry, Blue Pepper, among others. Her first book, conscientia veritatis, from Whiskey City Press, is available on Amazon.


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It's When You Stop Looking By Skaja Evens

Taking a long drink of his whiskey and cola Driving along the winding backroads I find myself more adventurous with him A little more reckle...