Abby Karstrand
The paint on the ceiling creates crunchy bubbles
Water damage accumulates over time
But not that much time
From my seat I can see the delicious gaps between the paint and dry wall
I pull a step stool directly under the water stain
And reach my fingers up to the ceiling
Into the ceiling
And the paper-like layers of paint
Crack
Under such a light pressure
And crumble
Covering my fingers in flakes
I press into the paint
And use my finger nails to scrape it off the ceiling
Feeling the flakes gather
Kind of sharp, but not stiff enough to hurt me
When I rub my fingers together, the flakes turn into dust
I bring my hands to my face and examine
And eat the paint flakes
The particles get stuck in my teeth
I run my tongue over
Trying to dislodge
Paint from my teeth.
Paint mostly tastes like dirt
A pretty neutral flavor
Then I brush
Decide to floss
Undo the damage
And wear lipstick when I’m alone.