A Gunshot

by Khristy L. Knudtson

I focused and realized your face has not looked this beautiful
      since I was a child and since I was your “Muffin.”
I focused and realized your face has not looked this beautiful
      since it was illuminated in the middle of these crosshairs.
The smooth, crescent moon of the trigger
      carressed by my finger.
The weight of the stock pressed against my shoulder
      braced for impact.

i n h a l e
e x h a l e

The primer, the propellant, the bullet proper,
and the picture frame.
An animation, an annihilation, an analgesic,
a photo-glass precipitation.
An exaltation, an affirmation, and

a celebration of liberation.

Category: Poetry, SNHU Creative Writing, SNHU online creative writing, SNHU Student

About the Author

As a high school English teacher, Khristy L. Knudtson encourages her students to be vulnerable risk-takers even when they don’t necessarily share her passion for reading and writing. Knudtson graduated with a BSE in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In May of 2019, she received her MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry from Southern New Hampshire University. She has four poems published in The Penmen Review and twelve articles published on The Mighty where she is an unapologetic mental health advocate. Forever toeing the line between sensitive and sardonic, Knudtson lives in Wisconsin with her husband and cats where she keeps herself caffeinated enough to know when it’s an appropriate time to speak her mind.