Tyler Campbell, Stockton University

i’ve tossed and turned
like the clothes in the dryer.
as i take the darks out,
and fold or hang them
according to the chance
of them being worn again
in the next week,

i peer into the washer
and see how clean it looks,
how it could wash away
all of my problems.
so i chug a bottle
of detergent,
hit start,
and crawl inside.

i let myself drown over and over
again as my body slams against
the protruding ridges delving into
my sides.
once the cycle ends,
i think of hanging myself

from a clothesline, but instead
i exit, wrap myself in dryer sheets,
and crawl inside the next machine,
to feel warmth running through me,
to finally get the wrinkles out.

Tyler Campbell lives in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and attends Stockton University. He currently bakes, scrubs toilets, re-shelves books, and teaches. He will only eat with teaspoons and salad forks, though he does not drink tea nor has he ever tried a salad.