Mint

by Anonymous

a.) When I was 14, I liked the girl in my class. She smelled of mint-flavored gum.

b). My father was the town preacher, so that meant I couldn’t ask her if I could have some. 

c). I instead asked her to play pretend with me-

But we then ran through the woods-

and acted as if we had no end. 

As if the old barn would never crumble.

d). When I was 14, I wore a blue button-down shirt with a collar to our open house; my father made me change and wear my church dress.

e). I tried to sneak out that night

 to the girl’s house, but I got lost in the woods and couldn’t find my way around as good as my neighbor’s herd dog could.

f). We listened to music and bought milkshakes

at the only diner in town and my friends still, ask me

Where are your mixtapes? I gave them to her

And 

Why are you never at home?

g). When I was 14, I worried about 

what my friends thought of me.

My father made me come home early-

No after school hangouts, just me in my room alone-

Without the milkshakes and my mixtapes.

h). alone

i).  When I was 14, the smell of mint-flavored gum 

made me sad and confused.

j). We had mint growing in our garden which I would put in my mouth and let the flavor swirl on my tongue. Put it under my pillow and let it waft into my nose. 

k). I had to find

a new hiding place for my diary,

 just for the muddled thoughts within my brain, 

and every time the floorboards would creak

when my parents walked over them

the smell of mint would be replaced by begonia.

l.) Why did I want to run away? Take the old herd dog and just leave?