I have a bad case of itchy foot
The itchy foot runs through my leg
When I itch the itch it numbs my toes
Through my foot it goes
And all the way into my calf
It feels like the beginning of poison oak
The sweltering allergic reaction
That has plagued me since days old
I feel the familiar itch
The friendly ooze
The glorious disgusting hot irritated mess that is poison oak
But not quite
It’s just one singular bulb
One little plague bubonic
A tiny little boil
A reminder of bare feet in mosquito territory
A reminder like a cracked phone screen
Or a scar on your arm
Something you see everyday
A reminder of something you forgot
Like her face in my camera roll
Like looking back at just how perfect it has been
Because so often I took photos when things were good
When I wasn’t staring at a blank google doc
An image stamped in my skull
When it was incredible
Or when it was supremely funny
Or when it hurt like a mountain insurmountable
And when I scroll back and see these myrtle memories
For an instant I feel that excitement that takes me back
That yearning for days old
But not for a million dollars
Not for an ounce of that love that I felt
Would I miss a second of the now
It’s weird
But I scratched the itch
And honestly it doesn’t itch anymore