::11:27:07::

::: Déjà vu :::

She dropped the bottle
and heard it shatter before it fell.
It cracked the sink and spilled its contents -
a cheap, generic perfume -
all over the bathroom countertop.
she got to her knees and rested her head on the surface;
it was cold and hard, just as she’d expected,
and when she chose to open her eyes,
she could see herself in the widening puddle of her mistake.
without words she wondered how shallow
that puddle might be,
and how deep the mistake,
and how so sweet a thing could smell so strong and repellent.
She refused to weep and closed her eyes to fight the urge.
Who would clean up all this glass
without cutting themselves in the process?
What if they failed, and blood was trailed
from the vanity to the bed?
The cracked sink would need repair.
Soon it would begin to leak
and the unseen parts beneath would soften, darken, and rot.
She lost her struggle, yielded,
her eyes turned against her
and added their efforts to the growing mist.

Written by: ~ Josh Woods