to witness firsthand
how beauty manipulates
turns day into night
to accept my fate
i must turn the other cheek
and kill with kindness
i’ll never woo them
with the same sneaky tactics
beauty’s lost to me
her heart will turn black
before her scent leaves their back
only then they’ll know
beauty’s lease is short
but sorrow lasts forever
in a broken heart
absenteeism
shuffles in a class bully
to begin my day
meeting turned sour
by news of favorite students
choosing other schools
(but i don’t blame them
after my reception here
and structure-less rules)
lunch: a cruel email
brings sixty minutes on hold
all for eight digits
if i had those numbers
for what i should earn each day
this wouldn’t matter
dean’s accusation
ends my locked-door afternoon
loss, theft, and questions
at home, door swings wide
my baby with arms open
smile bright as birth
we draw skating paths
multicolored chalk, sunsets
stress melts into love
Modeled after “Harlem” by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream unrealized?
Does it disappear
like the morning mist?
Or wallow in sorrow
like a lover unkissed?
Does it bubble up
like a blister from a burn?
Or fall to ashes
like a loved one in an urn?
Maybe it just weeps
like a lost child.
Or does it run wild?
icy wonderland
perfect for dolls and yoga
warm inside Sunday
wrapped up for movies
stovetop cinnamon popcorn
cuddles all around
this is what love is
the everyday joys measured
with quiet moments
Modeled after “Sonnet XVIII” by William Shakespeare
Sonnet for Equality
Shall I compare you to a summer’s dream?
You are permanent in the public’s view
In this new world things can sometimes seem
As fair as fair can be if they ask you
But we all know that you don’t always shine
As bright as King summoned under His light
And with the devil, time oft stays behind
And souls oft forget to fight the good fight
Your absence makes a death toll hard to bear
When those in charge can only summon hate
Yet I know deep down you will always care
For humans who would like to change their fate
Equality, I ask for sweet returns
Into hearts seeking solace for their burns
he will not forgive
shuns me in once warm places
i will not forget
in tears, she begs me
just get them started–i can’t–
grief bursts into halls
all papers graded
i read Spanish in silence
wait for final bell
a windy walk home
trailed by one-car dilemma
my cyclist shines
headlamp, gloves ready
January? my mistress
cycle through my stress
my peace offering:
the book he wanted to read
(he puts me on stage)
humiliate me?
i crave the Spanish smiles
he doesn’t know me
a windy ride home
cold clings to my clothes with hugs
cheeks on girls’ warm cheeks
this brief moment here
is all i’ve seen them today
my cycle spins on
Modeled after “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
Well, daughter, I’ll tell you,
Life for me hasn’t been an easy download.
It’s had loading time
and viruses,
and malware warnings,
and hard drive crashes,
and places with no wifi at all—
dead.
But all the time
I’ve been surfing along,
and reaching social media,
and writing blog posts,
and saving work to Drop Box,
and sometimes going through the Google maze
where ten million links can’t answer my query.
So, girl, don’t shut down.
Don’t you give in to the start menu.
Because when you find it’s hard to wait
you know the pinwheel of death will stop spinning
And I’m still surfing,
I’m still keeping my screen on,
And life for me hasn’t been an easy download.
winter rollerblades
spray-bottle paths formed by girls
with no snow in sight
a sunny walk home
January thaws… nothing
worried hidden joy
oh but their smiles!
the earth is dying, but them?
they’re just having fun
i skate after them
till the sun escapes the day
tuck sorrow to bed
we all have our paths
formed by small hands and big hearts
climate changes us
Modeled after “Success is Counted Sweetest” by Emily Dickinson
Sobriety is counted sweetest
by those who never drink
to never know that poison
would allow you always think
Not one of all the drinkers
would admit that this is true
The devil’s tongue inside the drink
is what gives them joy anew
But if you’ve saved your soul
and avoided all the bars
You’ll have a peaceful life
and not toast your soul to stars
January sun
makes summer out of winter
joyful ice cream stroll
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