a twig snaps beneath my shoe,
the sudden sound shattering the calm atmosphere.
sunlight dapples over my skin,
rippling across my clothes,
pooling in my cupped hands
as if i were holding it.
delicate leaves rustle overhead,
my attention to the emerald glow above only broken
by the hum of a bumblebee
buzzing its way to yet another flower.
trees, seemingly protective,
surround me,
their trunks a shelter for such a variety of creatures.
sweet birdsong echoes above.
a woodpecker taps a home somewhere to my left.
a chipmunk skitters across my path
and into the still ferns,
causing them to shudder.
the scent of soil, of leaves, of nature, floods me.
i wonder about the world,
about the mountains and about the sea.
about my friends, my family,
about strangers with lives
just as complex and unknowing as my own.
i ponder myself, my life,
where will i go?
what will i do?
will it all be worth it?

-l.s.

outer space.
a vast expanse of nothing,
yet everything.
reminiscent of my mind.
full of thoughts, full of worry,
but numb at the same time.

-l.s.

the hot smoke in my stomach flowing warm
my deadly sharpened teeth glistening white
made for tearing through those who wish to harm
all that surrounds me bathed in clear moonlight
the click of my claws on the stony ground
the feeling of my wings beating heavy
the deep rumble in my chest as i growl
how my scales outshine those that surround me
i spit acid at their feet, a warning
i tear claws at their face when they ignore
the stars above me fading with morning
as i leap off the rock and start to soar
i am a dragon, my power is vast
my soul ignited with flames of the past.

-l.s.

staring out at the rushing creek,
standing on the edge,
crushed leaves beneath my shoes.
i toss my phone on the soil;
i don’t need you right now, devil.
instead i focus on the passing water,
on the ongoing march of time
thrusting us forward no matter how hard we try
to make it stop for us.
i sit down.
birdsong fills my ears,
joining the creek
as it glides smoothly over its bed.
leaves brush against each other
as a spring breeze picks up,
rustling their way into my mind.
the gentle wind smells of flowers,
of soil and of memories.
i close my eyes,
allowing myself to forget everything.

-l.s.

i step outside, the sky above gray as slate
petrichor seeping up through the grass,
engulfing my state of mind as i inhale
and guiding me into a place of hushed abstraction.

-l.s.