Worry by Emily Wykoff
You told me the stairs at the Colosseum are steep and slippery
In a text from your trip to Rome
You wanted to make sure I wouldn’t fall
When I claim that city as my own
It reminded me of that time in November
When you texted me after you left
Worried I’d slip in the morning
Warning me about the ice on my front steps
You worried about me
Back when we were together
And you still worry now
Even without icy weather
You worried when I wasn’t getting enough sleep
When I was so sick that I couldn’t sing
You even worried when I worried too much
You were the cure to my anxiety
You worry so I don’t have to
You warn me about uneven stairs
Because you know I’m uncoordinated
I could even trip on thin air
I worried less when you were here
More now that you’re gone
But I won’t fall down the steps in the Roman Forum
You made sure of that all along
Emily Wykoff is an English Major at Amherst College. Her work has been published by The Amherst College Indicator, The Lilac, Livina Press and SIEVA Magazine. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
