Curtain
By Stephanie Karas
Stephanie Karas is a junior at Lewis University, where she studies Psychology and Creative Writing. She currently works as the Assistant Managing Editor for Jet Fuel Review. Her work has been published previously or is forthcoming in Creative Communications, 30 N, and the American Library of Poetry.
I am not meant to see beyond the thin blue partition, peeking
in at the svelte boy with tubes encircling him like a bridle.
Pastel dots plaster the stained carpet.
A stuffed chartreuse frog hanging off the counter.
The mother clutches her Styrofoam cup of coffee,
humming machines unable to interrupt her catatonic state.
Loitering in the busy hallway, I wonder
how many crumpled math assignments hide
in the bottom of his backpack? Is his favorite color the green
of trampled schoolyard grass? Can he win any game of Jenga?
I am left alone without any answers. The doctor speeds
through the door, closing the curtain.
Interview With The Author
What inspired the creation of your piece?
This piece began as a project in my Creative Writing course at the time. We were placed in groups and within these groups, we established rules for the poems we were going to create: we established a few words each poem had to incorporate, a style to follow, a color scheme, etc. The poem itself was inspired by an experience I had during my high school years. My best friend since childhood was in and out of the hospital because of his Ulcerative Colitis, and because he was a minor at the time, he often ended up staying in the children's hospital. Whenever I would visit, I was struck by the contrast between the colorful environment and the condition I would see these kids in, I knew it was something I wanted to capture and explore within my writing at some point.
How did you start writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid I took great pride in messing around in Word and writing about my day. I started to take my writing more seriously in about eighth grade and began writing poetry and short stories. In high school, I joined the Poetry club and took part in several spoken word competitions.
Why do you write?
Writing has always come naturally to me. It helps me with expressing my emotions, processing the world around me, exploring new material and the world around me in new and interesting ways.
If asked to define your work in three words, what would those words be?
Introspective, Psychoanalytical, and Inventive.
Is there anything you would like those who view your piece to know?
I’m incredibly happy to be a part of this journal! I will also have more work coming out in the next issues of 30 N and Disquiet Arts.
Editor’s Note
“This piece hangs in a beautiful balance of simplistic storytelling and a detailed perspective. It gives readers an inside look at a human’s sporadic thought process and the difficult intricacies of curiosity. This piece feels relatable and unique at the same time, just as good poetry should.”
“This piece brings to light things that are not often discussed. It has such strong imagery, making the reader feel as if they’re experiencing it themselves. The ending was so ambiguous and intriguing, and really kept me wanting more.”
