metamorphosis

Kathleen Hellen

… he lay quiet … as if expecting such complete repose to restore all things to their real and natural condition. — Franz Kafka

blotches getting redder. spreading to my chin. neck. spreading
beyond “friends.” to shared neural networks. is it viral? is it cortisol?
calm down. i tell myself. breathe. practice patience. practice gratitude.
but my phone is sensitive to elevated presence. sympathetic to the popular
intensity of symptoms. the moon-shaped face. a little puffiness. is it certain
medications? elevated hormones? poor sleep? stress? is this the face
that launched a billion views? a dozen wellness products?  

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KATHLEEN HELLEN is the author of three poetry collections and two chapbooks. Her poems have won prizes from the H.O.W. Journal and Washington Square Review. Hellen’s third chapbook, young girl in the flower of time, is forthcoming in 2026 from Lily Press.