| Slower than life itself, Jon opened his eyes, and Karen beamed back with the
|
| same fake optimism she’d had since Bible study when she was nine
|
| «Rise and shine, love.»
|
| Jon grinned back, searching for a trap for his eyes, but the mole on her neck
|
| was the best he could find. |
| She rose from bed with a yawn that couldn’t have
|
| fooled a bigot and approached the bathroom. |
| Jon caught a glimpse of her wings
|
| tattoo and privately scorned as if to compensate for having just slept in her
|
| bed. |
| His mind wandered to nowhere and back. |
| He was still laying in a shrine of
|
| reminders he wished were covered. |
| As if there weren’t enough, the alarm clock
|
| went off to Karen’s favourite Taylor Swift song and Jon took a moment to
|
| embrace life’s harvest before turning it off. |
| The shower ran and Jon picked up
|
| the remote; |
| he applied it with force. |
| It was the most control he had with
|
| anything, even the car’s brakes were going out. |
| There was nothing on so some
|
| infomercial did the trick; |
| a hole that his attention fell in and never found
|
| its way out
|
| It seemed like seconds before Karen’s necklace graced his nose as she kissed
|
| him goodbye. |
| Jon’s lips mustered a circle, but applied no pressure or suction;
|
| a ritual that kept him from any awareness. |
| She reminded him about the laundry,
|
| and left in a hurry even though she was early. |
| Jon walked to the kitchen and
|
| found a pen and paper. |
| He began to write:
|
| «Those who know me will say it makes no sense, let me offer you this — I agree.
|
| Consider this the script of my head, a declaration of the things I haven’t
|
| said. |
| I’m 38 years deep in skin I wish was dust. |
| And before you jump to any
|
| conclusions, I’ll admit it, I’m tired of all of you but it’s myself I just
|
| can’t stand. |
| This isn’t depression or a crisis, I’m just so fucking bored.
|
| If someone could have talked me out of this, I’m glad they didn’t
|
| Mom, guess I’ll address you first. |
| You should have known from the cesarean
|
| birth, I haven’t ever desired to exist. |
| Thanks for the food I guess.
|
| We both know Todd was your favourite and I don’t blame you. |
| I don’t give a
|
| shit what Freud would say. |
| Boring is about the extent we have in common.
|
| Shouldn’t have cheated»
|
| Karen burst through the door, «Forgot my report!» |
| Jon waited for her to be on
|
| her way again and looked her in the eye for the first time in weeks.
|
| Confidently, but without emotion or dramatization he opened his mouth, «Bye»,
|
| and she left. |
| He started where he left off…
|
| «on Dad, we knew you’d end up alone. |
| Judging by your boredom at Grandma’s
|
| funeral, I imagine you’ll be the same at mine
|
| Dad, there aren’t enough sighs left in me to show you anything. |
| If guilt exists
|
| in these lungs, it’s for you and I’m sorry. |
| We could have been closer if it
|
| weren’t for me. |
| Too many barriers got in the way, like the time I got the belt
|
| on Christmas Day. |
| I’ve been your burden and I appreciate the roof, thank you.
|
| But your greatest lesson was in misogyny. |
| Between Mom and Cheryl you know just
|
| how to pick them. |
| I knew I’d hate my wife someday. |
| You know exactly what I mean
|
| Todd, best of luck with the UFC thing
|
| Karen, don’t know how the will thing works but you can have it all.
|
| I looked into life insurance but it doesn’t cover suicide. |
| There’s a penny in
|
| the account for every vibrant verb you wish I was. |
| I’ve never had goals to
|
| succeed in disappointment but I can feel yours in me, let’s make it easy on you.
|
| I know you’ve always hated the ring, and I hate mine too, but not because of
|
| the way it looks. |
| Life is just easier when I take it off. |
| Since the day I
|
| promised „I do“ I’ve been watching us fade to black — maybe that’s what
|
| Hetfield meant. |
| We’re some kind of monster that couldn’t bear an infant.
|
| As much pain as you are, at least we never had kids… it’s easier to beat
|
| them in my head. |
| Regardless, I’m happy this is on my own accord.
|
| Remember the time you caught me jerking off to Groupon? |
| That wasn’t the first
|
| time or the last. |
| I’d rather watch senior porn than deal with the biannual
|
| anniversary sex. |
| Those files in my computer are bound to shock you so be
|
| cautious. |
| If you ask me, it’s a miracle I’ve made it this far. |
| My greatest
|
| achievement is waking up 14,000 days in a row
|
| While pictures may inspire deceit, I’m already as dead as I’ll be in five
|
| minutes. |
| Say what you want, but take my guidelines into consideration:
|
| If they call me brave, remember that I was weak. |
| And if they call me careless,
|
| be honored I took the time to write the note. |
| Just don’t ever call me special
|
| I’m going to kill myself.» |