My favorite mocktail medicine, a can of pineapple with a swirly straw / the stubborn final puzzle piece still in hiding / a pair of heels that will finally kick my dreams into gear / noise-canceling headphones for when you are yelling into the ether / a $3 bottle of wine you know I will only drink half of before regret is pumping through my bloodstream and I am dumping the rest down the drain / I wonder if they take returns on childhoods or if you could exchange the absence in my life for a mother / a bag of salad I will eat a single serving of before deciding it is slimy / the neighbors need flour and my friends need flowers even though I’m the one not getting well / does the grocery store sell vodka as well?
Maggie Bowyer π
Grocery List of Obscure Needs
After the recipe writing challenge.
Author Reading
About the Author
Maggie Bowyer (they / them / theirs) is a poet, cat parent, and the author of various poetry collections including Ungodly (2022) and When I Bleed (2021). They are an essayist with a focus on endometriosis, chronic pain, and trauma. They have been featured in Bourgeon Magazine, Capsule Stories, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine, The Abbey Review, Troublemaker Firestarter, Wishbone Words, and more. They were the Editor-in-Chief of The Lariat Newspaper, a quarter-finalist in Brave New Voices 2016, and a Marilyn Miller Poet Laureate. You can find their work on Instagram @maggie.writes.