Mondays

Here they call them palmetto bugs but they’re just cockroaches, really.  Normally, I would have murdered the tiny intruder but on this morning, on this particular day, I awoke with a newfound appreciation for life: for any and all life.

I watched the usually speedy creature struggle as his delicate legs navigated the hills and valleys of the carpet. I cautiously approached and imprisoned him beneath an “I Hate Mondays” coffee cup. I would imagine he probably wasn’t too pleased on this particular Monday either.

I contemplated what to do. If I crushed him, maybe I would be helping him move on to another life but I don’t know if I really believe in all that reincarnation stuff, so I slid a Rolling Stone magazine between the cup and the carpet and gently scooped him up. I can’t remember who was on the cover.I hope it was someone he would have enjoyed.

Quickly, I shuffled to the door and, with a grand gesture, threw him outside. I wanted him to fly away like a bird whose wing I’d nursed back to health but instead he simply fell to the ground below. A nearby crow silently watched this traumatic event and took full advantage of a generous Monday morning breakfast. 

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Kylie Petrovich

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Kylie Petrovich is an English PhD Candidate at Middle Tennessee State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University, and a Master of Arts in English from Belmont University. Ms. Petrovich specializes in modern American literature, popular culture, and critical theory. Ms. Petrovich enjoys creative writing, watercolor painting, and maintains avid interest in psychology. Currently, her research focuses primarily on identity.