I’m right there with you, Hamlet;
To be or not to be really is the question.
I’m tired of treading water;
how many times can one sink
before they can’t come up again,
how many times can one count pennies
to pay the rent while skipping a meal
or two—to be or not to be, Hamlet?
Your uncle killed your father; I get it.
I’m right there with you, man,
except it was my mother’s fifth boyfriend
who took her out. Not for kingdom or crown
but for a bag of pills. Pills, Hamlet!
What’s left for me? Just a rat infested flat
with crippled windows that let the wind howl
like a thousand wolves while I cover my head
with a 12-year-old pillow and scream
at the world.

About the Author:

Arvilla Fee lives in Dayton, Ohio and teaches English for Clark State. She has been widely published both nationally and internationally in numerous journals and magazines. Her two poetry books: The Human Side and This is Life are available on Amazon. In addition to writing, Arvilla loves traveling, photography, and treating her dogs like babies. To learn more, visit her website: https://www.soulpoetry7.com