Holiday Noel Campanella
Loosened
Four Weeks After
What comes after fear? I know
it is not relief. Like loosening a screw
driven in too far, a jar lid finally opened—
at first there is just exhaustion.
A little I told you I could do it,
but still disgust: This fucking thing.
And that's how it's been—facing death.
I told you I could do it. But I was not the one
with the screwdriver, the elbow grease,
the throwing-your-weight-behind-it.
I was the one watching to see if you could.
Bio
Holiday Noel Campanella is a multi-disciplinary writer and artist from South Philadelphia. Her work has been published in lit mags and journals, (Gigantic Sequins, Philadelphia Stories, San Pedro River Review, Meow Meow Pow Pow, Pink Disco) exhibited and sold nationally, (The Smithsonian Museum, Anthropologie, The Clay Studio) and collected in public and private collections (The Free Library of Philadelphia, Vanderbilt Libraries Special Collections). She has a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in painting and creative writing.