Disordered

flesh pinch post two whiskey
sours at the bar saw a movie
said no to popcorn because too
much butter now it’s 10 pm heat
up noodles in the microwave
didn’t eat dinner door quiet pry
open fork out of drawer scarf
bites of chocolate chip cookie
dough out of the pint with a
spoon. jiggle broken dishwasher
handle. pop open top be quick
slide spoon into slot. slot pint
into freezer eat celery carrots
have too many calories. grab
a fork. one on the counter.
stand behind the table.

I got two drinks at the bar
with a friend on a Tuesday. I
eat leftovers sitting down. I eat
ice cream sitting down, not
behind the freezer door and
not standing up. I don’t hide
the spoon. I leave the dishes in
the sink to put away later. I
remember the fork. I eat carrots.
I eat noodles. I walk slowly, from
the kitchen to the living room. I sit
down. This happiness is dizzying.
By dizziness, I mean walking
in a line after spinning in a circle.
By happiness, I mean marveling
when you don’t fall over.

Katie Mihalek

Katie Mihalek is a queer writer living in Somerville, MA. She holds an M.S. in Medical Sciences from Boston University and an MFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College. She has received support from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop and the Southampton Writers Conference, and has served as the Editor-in-Chief for Redivider. Her work can be found in Sheila-Na-Gig, Spectrum, Mistake House Magazine, Beyond Words, and others. Her chapbook, Aurora Uteralis, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in November 2024.