I Have Two Sides:

I have two sides:

There are two flavors of white teenager

telling my kids this was will wood

When I read The Secret History for the first time in my life, I was 21 years old and so was Henry.

I re-read it once a year every autumn.

This year when I will read it, I will be 23. Then, one day it will be 24..25..26..27 or however long I can continue my annual tradition of re-reading TSH before the responsibilities of life catch up with me.

I will grow old, but Henry Winter will never age. He will be 21 forever, frozen in time, in death, and in my heart.

I know all fictional literary characters tend to do this, but it feels like a different kind of heartbreak, nonetheless. You grow old while all of your favourite characters remain trapped in the pages which you have to abandon with time.

The Secret History

This eternal bliss in the twilight fair.

My mind still caught in the winter air.

Running wild was not the ideal,

And the aftermath was a terrible ordeal.

Blood and salt and the heavenly nectar

Flowed through our flawed sector.

This experience was an ethereal one,

And nothing could ever be as fun.

Though the antlers may be soaked in blood,

It was worth all the flesh and flood.

The celestial mirth runs through our veins,

And many more, worth all our pains.

If you're interested, here's my poetry acc: @poeticabomination111