One Poem by Lucy Sage

 

Migraines 

 

My head is about to explode 

and I may lose lunch. 

An auger is drilling into my head  

just above my right eyebrow 

near my temple. 

A burning red ember 

radiates from the auger  

intensifying 

into a sharp blue spike. 

My nose is burning. 

The augur is pressing 

under my cheek bones  

and below my eyes. 

A cap squeezes  

the top of my head pulsating 

like a blood pressure cuff.  

The pressure crushes my top vertebrae,  

digging into my scalp, my neck, 

and behind my ears. 

Green pressure pushes 

my stomach into my chest. 

A Metro Train runs  

up my esophagus  

into the roof of my mouth,  

expands inside of me  

and almost chokes me. 
Voices and noise  

are loud and shrill,  

light blinds, 

and smells magnify 

the burning in my nose and head. 

Even gentle touch hurts.

 

 

Lucy Sage began writing poetry at a young age. Born in Philadelphia, she subsequently lived in the Philippines and Nigeria while her father worked for the United Nations. She attended boarding school in England in the mid-sixties but dropped out of high school in 1969 to live in San Francisco. After waitressing and finally earning her degrees, she worked for politicians for 30 years. In addition to poetry, she likes riding her bike, painting, and exploring cities. Her poems have been published in Underwood Press, The Closed Eye Open, Writing in a Woman’s Voice, and Quail Bell, among others. Her chapbook, I Am From the 20th Century, is projected to be published by Kelsay Books in February of 2027. She currently lives in Harrisburg, PA.