"north meadow"

A soft summer's breeze
licks my face.
Songs of the birds echo
in the construction.
A black nanny comforts
a white child
and all is "calm".

12.47 pm

ar

"placed"

feeling chronically out of place.
out of place around friends,
family,
strangers.
out of place in temecula,
new york-
maybe I have always been
out of place
because I'm not too sure
where my place is.
I am a floater.
a diamond amongst the *******
a daffodil amongst the weeds
a spring chicken amongst
the school children.

I am yearning to be placed.

ar

"r"

eighteen days
until I flee this teenage body
and inhabit my fully grown one

eighteen days until I am
who I will be

she should be here to guide me through this process
but she is not and
never will be again

each day pressure is applied nearing her to her
pearly neck grave.

she will be a pearl in my daughter's heart;
Valerie Aisling

a

"vincent"

he is loved
wholly
by me.
everyday, I live with
intention.
I keep him in
mind.
no
I am not expecting him soon
no
I am not in a hurry

but when I am ready
and he is ready to find his way to me,
I will be eager to have him.

ar

"ny"

he's *****;
smelly, sticky, stained.
nowhere in my heart does he belong.
once upon a time,
I saw something beautiful in his heart,
lush and green,
quiet-
not spoiled or tainted by what he has been surrounded by.
but once upon a time is a distant,
faded memory-
too far away for recollection.
when I fly away, I will leave him behind.
I will have ridded myself of him.

ar

the paintings on the wall have heard it all;
every sob,
every strain,
every silent scream.
as the dim moonlight peeked through my blinds,
my paintings were the only ears i had to witness
every ******,
every pant,
every tear.
a demonstration of an invasion within
my numb body.
unable to say yes or
no.
my cottage was robbed,
because i thought it was safe
to slip into a sweet slumber
with the door unlocked.

round and round they go
intertwined in the heather sky
black bodies taunt and play
a thunder crack licks my lips
i stalk them with my eyes
narrow and tall it stands still
they rest upon it's frame
the sky, it mourns the loss of few
i'm not ready to die
but nothing is the same.