omen

Illustration by Sonam Kaloti

By Sonam Kaloti, Arts Editor

knock knock
I hear it at night
I hear it when nobody else is in sight
tick tock

I hear it all day
it’s in my head and its counting the time
until we all-

take stock:
5 things I see
3 things I hear
who could that be?

a hawk? I see:
the end is near.
someone, or something, is waiting too near

squawk
no one can hear.
now it’s perched on my shoulder
October gets colder

I’m fighting this figment
it is an omen
it’s warning me that it will seize all my moments

its talons are sharp and digging inside
I’m bleeding, crying,
they push me aside

tick tock
I hear it all day
it’s in my head and its counting the time
until we all