Tara Dasso
Countdown
9 attempts to find the perfect dress, forest green with tiny white flower buds on the hem and bodice
8 o’clock the reservation set, the smell of tandoori spices and roasted meat burns her nostrils as she comes in from the cold
7 months to finally get the tapes that ran relentlessly in her head to quiet; the scars inflicted by another at last begin to fade
6 her lucky number
5 bad dates before this one, the narcissist in the Rush t-shirt the worst of the lot
4 things they have in common
3 times she’s laughed in the last hour
2 people both looking for the person whose broken pieces fit with theirs
1 deep breath before she decides to take a chance on the uncertain
Tara Dasso is a poet from Western Massachusetts whose work focuses on finding the extraordinary in ordinary interactions between people. She is co-founder of Write-up Springfield, a monthly group offering a chance for Springfield area writers to come together to write, collaborate, and share resources. Her poems will be featured in upcoming issues of Dark Ink Magazine and Silkworm.