Full Circle Routine

I’ll sleep the indigos away I tell myself. / I’ll treat myself to Taco Bell to chase away the butterflies. / I’ll center my mind until I disassociate. / The lightning only hits my window once. / Once is enough to shrink deeper into my duvet. / The sun will come out in the morning / Not enough to brighten my day. / The rain will return and / I’ll sleep the indigos away I tell myself. / I’ll treat myself to Taco Bell to chase away the butterflies. / I’ll center my mind until I disassociate. / The lightning only hits once as I drift away.

Shalida A. Askanazi is poet, author, and disability rights activist from Cleveland, Ohio. She is the author of the poetry collection The Lazarus Girl that was self-published in 2020. Using her personal journey of being a black disabled woman, Shalida works to make sure there are accurate portrayals of the disabled community in her writing. She is currently working on a memoir.

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