Untitled 7 (Sick) (excerpt)
but in a few days it all passes. thermometers and buckets and wash cloths get tossed or tucked in corners of closets and forgotten about until next time. i am in the deep throes of it now though, and it seems like it will never end. daytime television fills my head like thick useless mud, making my already sluggish thoughts slow to a crawl. i worry briefly about not answering the phone, or checking the mailbox, or opening the laptop. only briefly. sickness can be seen as a mixed blessing. i enjoy the time cut off from the world. i just wish i could do something with it.
This passage has an intimate, almost confessional tone that draws you in like a friend sharing a low moment over coffee; the raw emotion and vulnerability feel genuine and relatable. The writer's choice to use short, fragmented sentences—like "i am in the deep throes of it now though"—effectively conveys a sense of being overwhelmed by illness without becoming overly dramatic. However, there are some areas where the prose could benefit from tighter editing; for example, phrases like "daytime television fills my head like thick useless mud" feel a bit overwrought and disrupt the otherwise smooth flow. Despite this, the emotional impact is potent: the mix of isolation and relief in being cut off from daily responsibilities rings true, even if there's an underlying hint of guilt or frustration. Overall, it's a poignant glimpse into a universal experience that many can empathize with, capturing both the monotony and the quiet contemplation that illness often brings.
—qwen2.5:32b, 2026-01-10