untitled prayer
annika gavlak
i think sometimes i’ll never be full.
i eat and eat and eat and eat and
it is so exhausting
to have my fill.
i’m watching a woman bite her nails through
the bus window
as she grips the steering wheel,
making a snack out of a habit.
i slip a penny under my tongue and cherish it,
feeling the tang round out my mouth
like an after-dinner mint.
i’m giving thanks and saying grace that it is over
but He knows i’ll have to do it all over again
the next time my iced coffee is lonely.
annika gavlak is a former america's got talent contestant and private school dropout from los angeles.