"Adams Apple." by John Malone
This is the tie worn by JFK the day he was killed (I show you a tie).
Jackie had it washed and placed in a museum – a symbol of the man her husband was – something
that completed the whole look (I hold it up to my neck to show you what importance might look
like on me).
But I’m just lying (I admit to you shamefully). I never understand why people say just kidding,
instead of saying just lying? Perhaps jokes are easier to swallow. This is not the tie of JFK.
This is my father’s tie. There’s a little mustard stain near the bottom from the time my mom threw a
mustard bottle at my dad during a fight they were having at a family barbecue (I show you the faded,
yellowish stain). My mother never washed it out.
Just kidding though (I say with a smile). This is not my father’s. It’s just a tie. What’s its usefulness
now?
Now that I’ve lied, and joked. Now that my neck is bare? (I tilt my head to the side, stick out my
tongue to the side, and put my eyes into my skull). You drape the tie around my shoulders and start
by folding one end over the other.
Featured art: “A Wave of the Feels” by Virginia Sitzes
John Malone is a graduate student at Regis University in Denver, CO., currently earning his MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction & Scriptwriting). His passions in writing include poetry, flash fiction, and screenwriting. John’s work has been published in The Avalon Literary Review, Albion Review and Loophole. You can find more of his work at his website.
"A Wave of the Feels" is a painting by Virginia Sitzes. Virginia is a printmaker, painter, and muralist living and creating in Oklahoma City. Originally from Denton, Texas, Virginia received her BFA from the University of Oklahoma where she studied printmaking and painting. She has exhibited, as well as taught workshops, across Texas and Oklahoma. Her work has been featured in Art Focus magazine, Oklahoma Gazette, The Gayly, The Tulsa Voice, and the “Inspiring Conversations OKC” and “Whatcha Makin’?” podcast. Virginia is also an active arts organizer. She co-founded the emerging artist collective, Art Group OKC, and has curated various pop-up shows in houses, alternative art galleries, and non-traditional venues. You can find more of her work on her website and instagram.