The Hotel In Elkhart, Indiana

From hot to cold
and cold to hot.

He had heard that this was bad for you,
that the process of exposure
to sudden temperature change
can be harmful to the human body.

So there he was,
submerging in the hot tub,
then jumping in the pool.

He doubted this would actually work,
but decided to try it nonetheless.

He hoped it would hurt him.

He hated his general manager at work,
feeling like he babysat him
alongside managing a shift’s
worth of other inferiors, too.

What could he do that someone else couldn’t do better?

The feelings of not mattering to anybody,
everyone taking, never giving back.

“What is that man doing, mommy?”
asked a little girl in pink polka dot floaties.

The mother ushered her daughter away
from this man in the hot tub, smiling,
dripping sweat and chlorine.

But there he was,
going from the hot tub to the pool and back,
praying for something to snap him out of this nothing.

Jed Kudrick is a creative writer and aspiring editor studying Creative & Professional Writing. With a focus on human connection, identity, and growth, Jed has earned multiple academic honors and actively participates in campus organizations. In addition to writing, Jed is a competitive esports player and journalist for the student newspaper.