A Tune

There will come a time,

When daisy’s dance

and blades of wind

Will cut through the sky,

Singing a tune

Only you can hear.

A New Year

A new day
A new year
The world is upon us
The possibilities endless.

We all lie in wait
With promises galore
And a sea of wishes
Upon our very tongues.

A cheerful symphony
Of laughter
Of cries
Of a
5
4
3
2
1

HAPPY
NEW
YEAR

And may this one be filled
With dancing stars
And smiling moons
And a sunrise to
Greet every beautiful day
And sorrowful storm
To bring upon a year
Of new beginnings.

The past now just that
A past of memories
And growth.
A year to never forget
As we bid it farewell.

Goodbye 2020
A year of
Riots,
Politics,
And a horseman run
Rampant.

Hello 2021
May you usher us into
Wisdom,
Health,
And understanding.

Rock Bottom

Falling down a rabbit hole

Watching from afar,

No way to intervene.

They tumble and they stumble,

I wish this wasn’t it

Rock bottom never seemed so scary

Until you watch another come

so close

Their eyes squeezed shut

The obsidian abyss

Encompassing

Mere light a fantasy

high above their head

Hope now shattered.

A Call

I love the way you call me from high above the starry sky.

Jealousy

A green beast.

An angry beast.

A large, hideous beast.

What’s this thing that

presses from the inside out?

Suffocating,

stomping on the lungs.

It knocks out all the

oxygen, and it fills the

bags full of a mist.

A thick,

slimey,

green mist

that comes out in clumps

with every breath.

How does one stop

the beast from rampaging?

How does one stop

the beast from taking over?

This beast,

this hideous beast,

with the name

Jealousy.

Steam

I toss my gaze to the window, squinting the tired blear from my eyes. Old street lamps sit along the sidewalk, their lights stretching to enter this dark room. I curl my body forward, sitting up and removing the arm of my unknown night guest. My fingers curl around a large T-shirt; theirs or mine, I’ve not a clue.

My Keurig whirs to life in the kitchen and my senses awaken as my tired limbs carry me towards the machine. The scent of heavenly coffee drifts to my nose, wrapping around my fogged brain; I hold the filled mug close to my face, watching as the steam rises, telling the secrets of last night.

False Statement

Why is it you

enter my thoughts sometimes and never

leave?

As if you are thinking of me, too.

You know,

they say that

if one can’t sleep,

they’re awake in another’s dreams.

Why is it you

disrupt my sleep as if

you still have a hold of me?

As if we still have anything

to do with each other

When that’s a pretty false

statement.

Our Life

Through the ups and downs,

we go through life,

with heads held high,

basking in the sun

or

dripping in the rain.

Trying to find a path

only our own gaze

can follow.

Walking down a road

of our own making.

Twist and turns,

skips and hops.

This is our life.

This is our making.

The Essay

Did you go to the party? I

Heard Brian was there. Mr. Marx is

Collecting the essays he assigned last

Week. Everyone

Was there. Even Sarah?

I’m so glad it’s almost break. Are you ready

For the game on Friday? The

Cheer team has to

Wear leg covers since it’s getting

So cold now. Mr. Marx is a joke.

Did you see the video? She’s

Actually showing her face. I

Just bought these sneakers.

Oh my God, look at her face! I

Didn’t know someone

Could drink that much. Dude,

I’m not ready for this Anatomy exam.

Gross!

Did you see the way she’s

Looking at

Him?

What a great night! That’s what

Brian said, too.

Hey Sarah, looking good.

I forgot about the Essay.

Time

I keep my secrets to myself. Jumping, skipping, hopping all around, the knowing grin curling my chapped and cracked lips. Soft, melodic notes reverberate against my vocal cords; all is right in the world, but I know.

I know I can only keep the charade going for so long. What I release on those lined pages of the leather-bound notebook, tucked away beneath my pillows are far worse than the monsters under my bed.