Nothing here beyond us—plastic dolls
in a dark factory basement.
Lights turn off row by row.
This room is full of blank bodies.
Once I whispered dreams
through the dividing glass.
You called for sexy swimwear.
Your dollars dropped at our feet.
You kept us with the living,
made us believe we were alive.
Seeing you from the window made us
blind to our own facelessness.
They leave us here
in tight formation.
We dream a return
to the window,
waiting for
adoration and praise.
The moment never comes.
This plastic body isn’t mine.
Yet here I am.
Nick Godec’s work has been published in Grey Sparrow, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Rue Scribe, and Steam Ticket. He studied history at Columbia University, received his MBA from Columbia Business School and now works in the financial industry. Nick lives in New York City with his wife, Julia, and their miniature pinscher, Emma.
Exactly how it felt and feels.
Love you, Ursa