Five Points Vol. 23, No. 2
FallSample Content
Jessica Abughattas
After the Attempt, Thanksgiving
A photo on my refrigerator: the 24 year old father, who had me, his first, for so much of his grievous life, holds me, a month old, under the Christmas tree. My existence couldn’t prevent what will happen. Dad didn’t complete suicide yesterday; I am thankful, authorize his discharge instead of state hospital. You don’t want to harm us, I say at his bedside. This would harm us very much. I want my dad to want to stay alive. Dark season for a bride married to death. The flaw passed down inside my head. The day of my grandfather’s funeral a jay fluttered into my grandma’s hand and died there. Everything around me dies, she said. Everything beautiful.