“ghost” – Brianne Buckfelder
I watch from the shadows
In a dreamlike state
Nothing inside me has changed
Nothing outside stayed the same
How dare it interrupt
The equilibrium I keep
That I hold on so tight to
That I fight for each day
Back and forth goes my mind
Watching still
Nothing I do will stop it
I’ve learned that much
Why are you moving that
I don’t like it
Why are you changing things
Put it back
Why fix it
Please just listen!
But I’m still in the shadows
Nobody can hear me
I join the ghosts in the walls
Time moves on
Things change
I go back to my corner
I convince myself it’s fine
I latch onto the familiar
I ignore what’s not mine
And then, all is new
I’m the only thing left
Unrecognizable us both
A relic of the past
“Iri” – Rayna Stallings
Like a comet from outer space,
she crashed into my existence,
Breaking through the walls I carefully built up over the years.
Pursuing me with such persistence,
her genuine care has brought me to tears
I never knew I could feel like this,
Warm and whole inside,
She consoles my darkest thoughts,
that I often try to hide
An ethereal being,
sent from up above,
I cherish the moments I spend with her,
My heart is full of love
Her touch is a healing force,
That brings me back to the ground,
I am no longer a balloon floating up into the universe,
I have finally been found
With her, I can be unapologetically myself,
Never too much
The sweet notes she leaves around my room,
Turn my heart to mush
Romantic soulmates living in true bliss,
How blessed am I to have this wonderful woman
To hold and to kiss
“Beautiful nights, beautiful words” – Mariyka Sich
One of those nights, a sleepless night.
I toss and turn and go outside,
To see if the moon and stars are still there.
Suburban sky evens blood pressure again.
Looking up, I wonder, “Does He know?”
Does God know my heart?
Does He see the fire blazing inside?
Will he quench my thirst? I hope it’s soon.”
Clutching the railing and breathing in stars,
In and out with His breath in my lungs.
I hope He knows I love getting it knocked out of me
When He speaks beautiful words through others’ lips.
“Harmless” – Anna Shoup
Add a splash of bleach in with the white sheets and towels
And place it back above the washing machine.
Chop basil with kitchen scissors
And hand wash the pair tomorrow.
Light a scented candle with a gas-powered lighter
And shave in the shower with a three-blade razor.
Needle-and-thread a hole in the blue sweater,
And file fingernails round and pointy.
There is pasta on the stove,
And wine in the fridge.
Leave the bottle corked, unfinished,
Turn the stove off without a hitch.
While hummingbirds on the back porch
Use their beaks in floral escapades,
And brightly colored salamanders
Waddle their way from concrete to cool soil,
Stingless bees outside the window
Embark upon their harmless pursuits.
And I, with them.
