Lori Minor
Writer’s commentary: Writing is the best therapy I could ever ask for. Not only is it free, but I have the opportunity to help others alongside myself. Crash-test came to me as a coping mechanism when I was at a low point and felt like relapsing. Anything can be an addiction and for me that’s cutting. I started when I was twelve and I’ve struggled with it on and off ever since. Writing has been able to give me that “high” and keep me distracted from the emotional pain and exhaustion that accompanies mental illness. Luckily I haven’t crashed and burned in awhile.
Crash-test
The only time I buy razors is to cut myself. I used to shave, but you can’t get a high from just grazing your skin. It’s releasing the endorphins that really make you feel good. Of course, then I crash and feel guilty about what I did. Recovery takes awhile. I’ve been in recovery for twelve years now and clean for almost seven months.
riding a bike
for the first time
in years
I squeeze the breaks
a little too hard
About the writer:
Lori A. Minor is a feminist, existentialist, and mental health advocate who dabbles in visual and literary arts. She is the editor of the new mini e-zine #FemkuMag and co-editor of Scryptic Magazine. Her work has appeared in Failed Haiku, Prune Juice, Frogpond, Akitsu Quarterly and more. Lori has won a few awards in her year and a half of writing, including the short list for the 2017 Touchstone Award. She released her first book Radical Women: A Book of Femku in September 2017 and is currently working on her second book inkblots: revealing my story to the therapist.
Image: Lady in a Sweater by Antonín Procházka (1882-1945). Mixed media on cardboard. No size specified. 1921. By free license.
