- Page 3 and 4: Comfortable Madness William L. Alto
- Page 5 and 6: Dedication For Lisa, who showed me
- Page 7 and 8: still the only teacher who let me g
- Page 9 and 10: Hush I was eighteen. I was dreaming
- Page 11 and 12: Lines Mornings sucked. Anxiety pois
- Page 13 and 14: In the Real World Smokers and stone
- Page 15 and 16: On the Outside Narrow, gray lockers
- Page 17 and 18: Everything went quiet. Even the big
- Page 19 and 20: things from me. Tayla wanted courag
- Page 21 and 22: He crawled to his feet, looking for
- Page 23 and 24: “Yeah?” “Absolutely.” “Wh
- Page 25 and 26: All the courage vanished. I was sma
- Page 27 and 28: Color came back with a crack. Laugh
- Page 29 and 30: Kissing my temple, she took me insi
- Page 31 and 32: Movie We smoked too many cigarettes
- Page 33 and 34: Surrender I couldn’t refuse him.
- Page 35 and 36: “Not yet.” His hands stroked my
- Page 37 and 38: Lost Meaning I danced. Alone. I dan
- Page 39 and 40: Poverty Dinner was one egg, a piece
- Page 41 and 42: Unconditional I couldn’t make my
- Page 43 and 44: Sour The world was quiet, and I cur
- Page 45 and 46: watched her sleep for a long time w
- Page 47 and 48: from under the hood played through
- Page 49: Promise Gid stood in the corner sol
- Page 53 and 54: A Dream in Daylight Coy was small a
- Page 55 and 56: Return I neither slept nor woke. It
- Page 57 and 58: She put her hand on my knee. “It
- Page 59 and 60: More Trouble Coy came looking for t
- Page 61 and 62: Consequences Pastel landscapes hung
- Page 63 and 64: Time Out Even at sunset, Hagg Lake
- Page 65 and 66: Missionaries Two boys came around t
- Page 67 and 68: Tad’s face was hard and pointed.
- Page 69 and 70: Doorway It happened fast and it las
- Page 71 and 72: Visions People talked. They talked
- Page 73 and 74: Alone But Then Not I danced with th
- Page 75 and 76: Dread In the space between sleep an
- Page 77 and 78: Blurred Tayla started the coffee. L
- Page 79 and 80: The Object of Envy Ravens rose on b
- Page 81 and 82: Unprovoked A large mirror covered a
- Page 83 and 84: “I’m sorry,” I said. “Me to
- Page 85 and 86: screamed. I screamed and screamed.
- Page 87 and 88: Glorious Downtown. Sunlight and bri
- Page 89 and 90: Drinks and Sex Men came and went. N
- Page 91 and 92: That World Everything was incompreh
- Page 93 and 94: ain pierced my face and forearms wi
- Page 95 and 96: But she didn’t know. She had no i
- Page 97 and 98: Angie leaned in. Her lips traced a
- Page 99 and 100: Promises Gid stared at me and I sta
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The seatbelt gave way and I jumped
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Taking Charge I lost my mind. Faces
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from the sink. A call button hung f
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Laps Walls the color of eggshells h
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Burning Sin Pain shaped my dreams.
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“Well,” she said. “You made i
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“When they lay on their death bed
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“Same.” “Want to go to your r
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Release They sent me home. It was m
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The Edge of Dreams No sleep. Every
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A Brittle Moment It came all at onc
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Date Night Tayla stood at the stove
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Tragic Morning Trees on the edge of
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Between Here and There “What do y
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Knives and Sadness Lying alone in m
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Prayer “Dear Jesus,” I prayed.
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“Soon enough.” 125
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ightened. Ivory lined green banners
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Back Again Voices filled the cafete
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Slipping Midnight. One. Two. Three
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Lies I hurt. Every movement. Every
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Angie nodded. “Sure,” she said.
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“Butter,” Mom used to say. “N
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Work Out Each step was a marathon.
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First Try “Dance for me,” Tayla
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Suddenly, he was inside me, moving
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“I don’t know,” I said. “I
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I dreamed of music, but I didn’t
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“Jesus,” she said and got out.
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“What’re you doing?” “He wa
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The Plan Comes Together We gathered
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Freak Out I went to bed at three, I
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Vows and Promises Tayla’s hair wa
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He turned to smoke and mist and ros
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Thoughts Biology was a class of lon
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No God Religion and government. Fai
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Almost Breakfast came at me in wave
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Help Steam rolled up and broke agai
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Animal noises ripped out my throat.
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the baby up for adoption. We talked
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Miss Tris didn’t buy all of it, b
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“Why?” “Never mind,” I said
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Fine “You’re getting fatter,”
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Faces Faces melted. Jaw lines narro
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The Beginning of the End The bar wa
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Kind of a Moment I had a plan. For
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“Fine.” When I got to the door,
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Angie laughed. It was a cruel, hard
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A Moment on the Corner Sunlight bro
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No Gray Queertopia was empty but th
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Race Haven was all movement and col
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“What?” Tayla asked. I shook my
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Confession Sleep abandoned me to th
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Silence Six days of silence. I woke
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“I need a smoke,” I said and go
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“Have you talked to her?” “Sh
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“But now,” she said, “now you
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Disturbed Even the echoes died in t
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Nothing Changed Cherry blossoms cam
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Spark All night, I sat in the livin
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Reunion First thing in the morning,
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Back in my Bed Three faces hung in
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Far From Perfect Antiseptic walls r
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Fair Angie stood in the middle of t
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Face I walked in sunlight. It taste
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Names Lunch came and we all sat in
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Fair Warning Coy had something to s
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On the Edge of Things People talked
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“She thought we broke up,” I sa
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“You’re fine,” she said. “Y
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“Some folks,” Mr. Skarey said,
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The baby hiccupped, a rhythmic danc
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“You’re going to be okay,” he
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A Comfortable Madness Middle of the