Unwelcome Loiterer

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Athena Kalos

 

Grief is déjà vu when someone walks past you wearing a certain perfume. It’s the missing cackle when a joke is said in their favorite movie. It’s the long-lost smell of baked cake and candlelight on their birthday. It’s your heart rupturing when you realize they won’t see you turn your tassel or say I do. It’s the sorrowful smile when retelling memories. 

It’s a companion that never truly leaves–it loiters with loyalty unbound. It follows you, plays with you, and eventually sleeps. But, with each slumber, it lessens in size and ceases to be such a hulking beast. 

 

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Athena Kalos graduated in the spring of 2024 with a degree in classics and a minor in creative writing . She hails from Sussex County where she works at the local library and spends most of her free time playing video games or reading. 

Athena wrote this poem in a course taught by Joanna Furhman, who selected the piece for inclusion in WHR.