Carrie Oeding's work has appeared in several journals including Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction, DIAGRAM, Colorado Review, Best New Poets, Mid-American Review, 32 Poems, and Third Coast. Her first manuscript has been a finalist or semifinalist for a number of book contests, including New Issues Press, The Vassar Miller Poetry Book Prize, The Akron Poetry Prize, Marsh Hawk Press, and more. She just recently moved to Houston, TX, where she teaches at The University of Houston, as a Houston Writing Fellow.

POEM  IN  THE  SHAPE  OF  A  TRUMPET

In high school band, back in, well, I won't mention dates because it'll help this seem like a non-memory memory because ugh, memory, I can't really do much with it, so back in or back then I used to hold my trumpet up, sitting next to you while you held yours up but you played yours and I didn't at first because I had been playing for awhile for a number of years and the music had gotten harder, but I couldn't tell the teacher because he put me in this spot and besides was in anger management and told me once I stopped trying too hard and set my mouth correctly I would finally put all my air to good use, so I'd just listen to you play the songs a few times and I tried to get them and you were just this kid but you could play, the Irish ballads the jazz the pep songs, they even gave you solos and somehow I had gotten this far, I'm not really sure how especially because of the jazz, and sitting next to you the good player I felt like I had took off my training wheels and realized there was never a bike and now, even though I sold my trumpet years ago, I'm still looking for my bike and a little worried that you were it.