“Pronouns – p.7”

I hope you can help me with my homework.

I’m building a life-size model of myself. We’ll need masking tape,
popsicle sticks, and hurt. I’m a man of many layers. Most of which can be
made with arts & crafts materials; most layers are also scarred. But this is
not a pity party. You should bring Funions in case we get hungry. Onion
breath in pairs offsets insecurity and denotes success. No doubt we’ll work
up an appetite while making me appear all too real. I’ll play 80’s hits if
you promise not to sing along. There is no bigger distraction than total
eclipses. I’ll need to write a biography accompanying the assignment: Do
not touch. This is a man scared to stand alone. He needs self-confidence to
prop himself up. Think people will know he’s not really alive? Have you
ever wanted to be struck by lightning? Please print my first and last name
above my lungs. Breathe with me. Kiss my lonely lips. Assure me you
know what it’s like to be ignored. Hold my hand? Come back tomorrow?
For extra credit, we’ll build a diorama with the remnants of my heart.

Daniel Romo is the author of When Kerosene’s Involved (Black Coffee Press, 2013) and Romancing Gravity (Silver Birch Press, 2013). His poetry and photography can be found in the Los Angeles Review, Gargoyle, MiPOesias, and elsewhere. He teaches creative writing and lives in Long Beach, CA. More of his writing can be found at danielromo.net.