Lithium

Lately I’ve been thinking about

the lithium my dad hides in his

sock drawer, how he pops

a few in the morning to reel himself

in. It fizzles the brain water,

evaporates and so he must drink,

always drink, even when his hand

bucks wildly when bringing a cup

to his lips. It’s cold in Verkhoyansk,

colder than it has ever been here, 

and probably ever will. And people

live there, I’ve seen them! Long lashes

blanched in snow, crystals and all. Perhaps

that day when Philadelphia freezes

to -37 (quite balmy for this time

of year) will be the day my dad

will not need to fizzle what’s left

of that water, soak up what’s left

out there, walk outside, ask

me finally what I find beautiful

in this world.

About the Author

Brendan McCourt is a Philadelphia native and student of both English and Philosophy at Arcadia University, where he is the 2018 recipient of the Excellence in Creative Writing Award. A writer of short forms, Brendan is editor-in-chief of Quiddity, as well as a reader and frequent contributor for Cleaver.