spinning wheel

Daria Krol, Canada

Probably should have done that earlier. Shouldn’t

have laid in bed eating moths with a broken

jaw. When the moon unearthed her head and the

waves surged up to reach her, should not have tried

to follow them. Or have left the candle burning so

long. Or have turned away from the promise of a 

new yesterday with such bitter distaste. Or rubbed 

salt in the corners of the room. Or kept an envelope

of teeth under the mattress. Should have known

the floorboards would creak in the shape of a still-

beating human heart. When they came, it should

have been the end. It should have been a light

or a tunnel. It should have stopped talking earlier. 

The thread should have been pulled a little longer. 

Should have unspooled and let it knot and pulled

out every tangle and then left it hanging from the

doorframe and bristling in the breeze. Should have

put it in open mouth and pulled all the words undone –

Daria Krol is a writer from Canada. She has been previously published in Windscript, Élan, and Paper Crane. She is currently studying at Western University in Ontario.