Jessie’s nights have been difficult for as long as she can remember.

If only that person were on the same planet.

If only that person were in the same hemisphere.

If only that person were in the same continent.

If only that person were in the same nation.

His taste in music was mayonnaise: bland and unappreciated by most of the population. I guess you could say I love mayonnaise. We attended the same school, but a year separated us so we didn’t have any classes together.

I remember the guilt I had as

A nine year old girl

When I kissed another girl

Just for fun.

I wouldn’t have

If she didn’t lead me on

Freckled

Blue eyes

Red-brown hair.

After the first time she kissed me

I feel like a shattered stained glass window.

When I rewind the tangled film of that year to replay again,

the transcript hitches, a tainted roll of chromatography paper,

taken out from the closet a few too many times;

when I carefully crop it to the segment in question,