6 am, phone call

Day 18. Falling a bit behind but doing what I can. Today's prompt is to write five answers to the same question, without ever specifying what that question is.

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I. 

Sometime in the morning - 

early, too early - 

when the dreariness 

of February 

is still too much

to bear. 

II. 

Somewhere 

there is a 14-year-old,

still terrified 

to bring home 

a failing grade, 

a failure to succeed. 

III. 

Weight crushes

everything, 

a compression

of gravity, but

it feels 

especially concentrated. 

IV. 

Sometimes there is

a scream, 

but no where else

to put it, 

so it festers

and feeds like poison. 

V. 

Rush to stitch up

what is inoperable. 

Carry a new fear, 

but worry not - 

you will grow

accustomed in time.