Arrow Rock Literary Journal

We push away what we can never understand. We push away the unimaginable…

—It’s Quite Uptown from Hamilton: The Musical

That chair?

The leather one with all those 

wrinkles and folds

and tears?

The one 

torn apart by time

and use? 

He used to sit in it,                                               

his

oxygen machine standing sentinel

over the retired sergeant, 

guarding the decorated military vet

as he sat at his post.

That chair? 

The soft one with

two arm rests

and a sticky cup holder?

The one

faded tan with a round brown stain

and footrest that no longer works?

 

She used to sit in it, 

her

TV tray to the side

covered in magazines and crossword puzzles, 

the surface a servant

to someone sickly. 

Sorry, but no—

those seats are taken.

---

Joshua Hammond has been reading and writing since he was about two years old. He loves to read books, comics, manga, poetry, interviews, articles, and labels on chip bags. He also loves listening to podcasts, music, and audiobooks. Josh is passionate about art and hopes the human aspects aren’t lost as artificial intelligence develops. He has way too many hobbies, including writing, making music, and drawing. He has been published at Sufferer’s Digest, Serotonin Press, Flare Magazine, Orange Rose Magazine, and the Crystal Edition of Arrow Rock. He also has photography published at Orange Rose Magazine, music. posted at Arrow Rock, and an album under the name Sliced Hambone.