By Yvonne Hernandez

Autumn Tears

As the sun slowly sneaked into my bedroom I began to regain conscience.
Why must I suffer through another day, I wondered.
If I could only sleep through this misery and wake up after it subsides.

I begin to open my eyes and immediately feel the tears flood my eyes.
Wearily I reach for the almost empty kleenex box that sits by my nightstand.
If only this kleenex would stop the tears from flowing.
But even after the tears are gone, the pain will linger on for days.

As I gently wipe my eyes, my swollen eyelids remind of the day before.
Discouraged my day won’t be any better, I press my flushed face into my hands.
This seemingly serene movement of my head is now magnified by my painfully, pulsating migraine.

A bottle of little pills in my nightstand drawer become very attractive at this early hour.
I shouldn’t take the pill on an empty stomach,
but any remnants of appetite left me soon after all this began.
What’s left of my ability to reason tells me to leave the drawer closed.

I turn away and realize my face is now entirely flooded with saline dripping from my eyes and nose.
“Someone make this stop, please!” I shouted in my head.
I wiped my nose but it wasn’t enough,
I need to blow my nose to feel some relief.
This most dreaded act is inevitable now.
I brace myself.
I blow my nose.
Then a sickening reaction of chain sneezing taunts me.
If I could have only have taken Claritin long ago.