Joie De Vivre~ By Brittany Ackerman

Happy, in a sad, say way
cigarettes hanging out of her mouth
wearing black in the heat of the south
she wanted to get up north some day
we weren’t friends, or enemies per say
only knowing each other by word of mouth
then again those treaties never held any clout
how much exactly does a load of lies weigh
we could agree that each one seemed to mass
into a burden that would weigh us to a slow
and we become stuck in a mess unable to pass
faking a smile with a coffee to go.

Faking a smile with a coffee to go
he used to make small talk 
always on a long walk
the jolt of fresh blood gave him woe
there were always things I didn’t know
like where all the paintings came from
the purple scar on his thumb
that he used to indulge in blow
I used to tell myself the lie
that if there had been more time
if I gave the whole thing one more try
everything would have been just fine

Everything would have been just fine
if we had listened to what our mothers said
all those nights tucked into bed
before we lost ourselves amid the shine
the glisten and glow that make us pine
always wanting to pull the thread
not grateful for our daily bread
everything would have been just fine
now we stay up late to watch the moon
staring at the white edges, attempting to pray
we will all end up with our dues soon
Happy in a sad, say way.


Author Bio:
Brittany Ackerman is a second year MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at Florida Atlantic University. She is also a graduate teaching assistant at the university, a writing center consultant, and is working on her thesis hours this coming fall and spring. She enjoys baking, going to Disney World, and sky diving.