testing

Alyssa Pinkston

tears drip down my face

under my mask

over my lips

into my mouth

burnt coffee and saline

nauseating

coating the membrane

and going straight to my brain

testing center and the only thing being tested

is how long i can sit in the unadorned room

between the dividers

and cry onto my laptop

and no one is the wiser

i'm supposed to be observed

but can't get a tissue

but the moment i pull out my phone

it becomes an issue.

how long can i sit in cube number 5

before i lose my mind?

something about the testing center is an experiment on humans

an examination of willpower

i wonder if they're going to sanitize this desk after I leave

my nose is runny and i can’t tell if it’s from

the cold,

my crying,

or if i still have covid.

#2022