The Northville Review
an online literary journal
Skull

Timothy Braun

He was the king of the five-day romance

But he always hung around for six

He was bad with bathtubs

Often slipping when he showered

He had his dead dogs paw prints

Tattooed to his chest

In pencil thin red ink

Just under his broken chin

He had a bumper sticker that read

“Jesus loves me more than you”

Probably because he did.

He was not normal

He was young, he was 26 years old

He was on food stamps

And went to Christmas parties

Only for the free food, and the flirting

He always talked about traveling

But never did

And he feared death, like a good boy should

Eventually, he slipped in the bath, and fractured his skull on the toilet

Like most people, like normal people

He was 26 years old that day.

About the author

Timothy Braun is a writer living in Austin, TX. He is a professor of English and Cultural Studies at St. Edward's University. You can learn more about him at timothybraun.com.