Too Bad
︎︎︎ Kevin Chesser
︎ Feb 13, 2026
He wanted to believe in the power of lost objects.
She wanted to believe in letting the spaghetti slurp itself.
He wanted to believe in the sign, the sigil, and the starting gun.
She wanted to believe in the benefits of having her face melted off once a month.
He wanted to believe he was safe in his home, rooms dark, curtains drawn.
She wanted to believe if she ever saw a ghost she’d know what to do.
He wanted to believe being a ghost meant you lived in a barn and kicked around a bucket.
She wanted to believe that chauffeur was a portmanteau of show-fur.
He wanted to believe that the real image, the absolute idea, was always on its way soon.
She wanted to believe in the creature made of clapping hands.
He wanted to believe he was very charming under anesthesia.
She wanted to believe in every fucked-up member of her family.
He wanted to believe that all of her best ideas she got from him.
She wanted to believe that he was more an idea than a person.
He wanted to believe he was greater than the sum of his parts.
She wanted to believe the sum total of the universe could be held in the claws of a crab.
He wanted to believe that if he tried hard and did his best, one day he could be nothing.
She wanted to believe somewhere inside him was a roach running a hamster wheel and that was what allowed him words, openness of the eyes, etc.
She wanted to believe in letting the spaghetti slurp itself.
He wanted to believe in the sign, the sigil, and the starting gun.
She wanted to believe in the benefits of having her face melted off once a month.
He wanted to believe he was safe in his home, rooms dark, curtains drawn.
She wanted to believe if she ever saw a ghost she’d know what to do.
He wanted to believe being a ghost meant you lived in a barn and kicked around a bucket.
She wanted to believe that chauffeur was a portmanteau of show-fur.
He wanted to believe that the real image, the absolute idea, was always on its way soon.
She wanted to believe in the creature made of clapping hands.
He wanted to believe he was very charming under anesthesia.
She wanted to believe in every fucked-up member of her family.
He wanted to believe that all of her best ideas she got from him.
She wanted to believe that he was more an idea than a person.
He wanted to believe he was greater than the sum of his parts.
She wanted to believe the sum total of the universe could be held in the claws of a crab.
He wanted to believe that if he tried hard and did his best, one day he could be nothing.
She wanted to believe somewhere inside him was a roach running a hamster wheel and that was what allowed him words, openness of the eyes, etc.
Kevin Chesser is a writer and musician. He lives in West Virginia.