Suffocating,
he thought for a brief second,
of her
before his consciousness faded away.
Those last seconds of livelihood
Brought about one moment.

Grey-blue stars floated his way,
Along with two rose petals
that met his lips in the middle.
She spoke with tongue and
he understood.
His hand snuck its way to her heart
and suddenly he was lying at the bottom of the ocean,
with no thoughts.
Just her.

Stars are
fireballs of death.
Being alone in the dark is
a quiet spot to think.
A girl smiles to
hide her deceitful lies.
A storm is
a chance to listen to the calming rain.

Climb a mountain then
die on the way back down.
Divorce prepares
children for life.
Rainbows
don’t last.
Wars can
stop nation-wide racism.

Butterflies
sting and bite like hawk moths.
Murderers
let people go to heaven faster.
Life
has to end.
Death
brings us peace.

Darkness and lightness

She was wearing red shoes, I was wearing nothing
At least that’s how it felt when she kissed me
With her lips fuller than a Thanksgiving meal

Paper slipping through my finger, cutting like butter
Gravity pulling the plasma toward the bottom of my feet
Leaving behind a dark red laceration with a pulse

A barrel that is 30 years old, filled with fine wine
I turn the nozzle, which bleeds a perfectly ripe, healthy red
And lands into a smaller barrel with a handle on its side

A brown mosquito lands on its first meal.
He drinks and drinks and drinks and never feels full
Until finally he takes his last drink,
ever,
And becomes more red than brown

Brighter than the ocean’s reflection of the sun,
Sink your teeth in deep to the crispy skin of a red apple
Then absorb what it has been producing it's whole life

A bouquet of red roses face down in a trash can
A man picks them up with a smile on his face
He walks away but soon it won't be the roses prickling his hand

Red.

By: Kadin Bowling