thought exercise in the short time left pre-war
imagine: a big atom bomb coming towards home on a midsummer evening. let me tell you the
way I would end my time.
on the edge of a hill. legs crossed, I would first remove the contents of my pockets and lay them
before me. categorize the keys and cigarettes as though I am an archaeologist, holding the
contents of King Tut’s tomb. remove my shoes and tie the laces neatly, like they’re on display in
a mid-range department store. lay my body out straight, like it’s on display in a mid-range
department store. count the clouds. think about god. realize god is going to die with me and
become afraid and wonder
could my father (a good and devout Catholic man) beg his god to save me? or by then is it too late to escape the encroaching storm?
Hannah Schoettmer is a high school junior from the Pacific Northwest. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Butcher Papers and a managing editor for the TeenTix arts review blog. Her work has also been recognized by TeenInk, Write the World, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and she was a JustPoetry 2019 national winner. Her work has appeared in rose quartz magazine, among other places. She's on Twitter and Instagram @hannuh_jsÂ