by Jillian Ross

I found our souls on e-Bay yesterday.
They’re shriveled and discolored, but intact –
let’s buy them back before they fade away.

We sold them in that time of disarray;
in diamond ink, we signed the midnight pact.
I found them, though, on e-Bay yesterday,

heaped in the pile of others fallen prey
to crossroad offers of adverse impact.
We need them back. These empty spaces weigh

so heavily. We’re choking on dismay,
a barren land of worldly artifact.
I found our souls on e-Bay yesterday

with expedited shipping options. Pray
the expiration date is long – in fact,
let’s buy right now before they fade away

for good. We’ll banish idols that betray
our faith, restore our peace. Click now. Transact!
I found our souls on e-Bay yesterday.
They’re fading fast. Buy now. Click quick. Prepay.

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Jillian Ross is a writer, garden designer, and perennial student who will enter Fairfield University’s MFA Program in Creative Writing in July 2011. She recognizes many similarities in writing and design – each process begins with an idea and a blank slate. Jillian finds writing, like design, to be a combination of art and craft, enhanced by a serendipitous dose of inspiration. She strives to combine these elements in her work, and to keep the weeds under control. Jillian’s poetry has appeared in Dogwood and The Penwood Review. She lives and works in Connecticut and has recently acquired a “rescue” kitten named Fax Machine who munches on violas for breakfast.