“The Misfit Room” © DL Polonsky

 

an approximation of self-care

a cigarette in the morning to brush away nightmares
a breakfast of waffles and syrup and peanut butter to wash out the taste of
          sertraline
a few pets for the stuffed animals scattered around our house
a moment spent thinking about writing without actually doing it
another cigarette later in the day to calm my nighttime anxiety before it begins
a few reblogged posts on tumblr because yes, people still use tumblr
perhaps some music to set the mood for the afternoon – indie pop or punk
          most likely
a dinner spent with family, chosen or blood relatives
if baseball’s on I am certain to watch that no matter who is playing
otherwise I will watch hockey
I do have favorite teams but
just watching the sport is enough
to sate my curiosity
a few hundred to a few thousand words written for the day
restless nights lead me to smoke again and start up the music again
maybe somewhere in there I brush my teeth or shower or even both if it’s a
          particularly good day
probably a midnight snack too, preferably something with chocolate
at last I can call it a day

 

Elliott Graves (they/them) is a disabled, queer writer. They’ve recently taken a three-year break from university to rest their mind. It was only supposed to be one semester. They have spent most of this time writing and watching Dallas Stars hockey.

DL Polonsky is a Boston area artist, writer, and filmmaker. His caricatures have appeared in The Boston Herald and His written work includes the children’s book The Letter Bandits from T.B.W. Books.