My arms shake and my breath is out of time,
staccato in and out puffs as I come down
slowly from my high. I feel the aftershocks
like burning out Christmas lights,
tiny shocks of electricity
contained within a transparent glass,
flashes of white light fading
into a peaceful silence.

 

Austin Shay earned his M.A. in Humanities in December 2018 with a creative thesis that focused on culture and infectious diseases.