I baptise my hands for fear of bad luck
Constantly bathing them with curses
I dump my lover for fear of being alone
In case she abandons me
I drink excessively for fear I drink
Far too much for my own good
I hide the keys for fear of someone
Breaking into my house to steal them
I smoke cigarettes for fear of anxiety
Making me short of breath
I call the doctors for fear of feeling ill
When it mostly doesn’t concern them
I postpone my life for fear of missing it
While it passes by me.
Anthony Ward has been writing in his spare time for a number of years. He has been published in a number of literary magazines including South, Word Gumbo, Perspectives, Crack the Spine, Shadow Fiction, Torrid Literature Journal, Snakeskin, and Blinking Cursor amongst others.