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Brittany Wynn Nov 2014
We enter the church and immediately
have to push through two dozen sobbing Italian women
dabbing dry eyes; their tissues only show
black and multi-colored smears. Amid the echoing
“Oh my Goawd”s, they lean down and kiss my sister’s cheeks,
but even in my best black cap sleeves, I am the taboo
to my cousin Janet, a woman as barren as the stone lot
in between her husband’s restaurant and Deihl’s Autoshop.

We find an empty pew, and watch as the men
stride down the aisle, contestants
in a cultural Miss America pageant where the wrong answer
gets you whacked. Their heavy brows
sink in condolence as they hand over stacks of bills,
every hundred becoming a pity penny
for all the moments Janet lost in her luxury-life
made shiny by diamonds and cars and fur coats
which can’t be cashed in for a second chance at a family.

The men have paid for the food, the china, the band
in the corner meant to fill the space of sadness—
a reminder that we live a lavish life.
My sister shifts in her seat and as a man walks
by she touches his jacket, and gasps.
He’s a god.
(edited)
Crystal Erickson Dec 2014
Fun is fun when it runs along in its merry way
but when the sky turns liquid gray
all the fun goes away
cause through my eyes
my dull gray eyes
I see right through your foolish lies
I know that you do not know
and I do not let it show
be that as it may
with my eyes of gray
powers of plenty
I look within my realms
of mind and heart
you can't look into them
you can't look away
from my enchanting eyes of gray
driving driving driven on
to other lands and a further dawn
the deserts sandy storm has blown
and all the dust be dusted clean
and filtered through the cracks unseen

© Crystal Erickson 2007
Marie-Chantal Dec 2014
Observing Raven feather-full,
A gleam of blue on black.
The beady eye could look at me
And widen every crack.

Mocking with
Hollow call.
Watch! Don’t let that feather fall.
Promises it’s not hole.

The Raven whispers thoughts of doubt,
Insides sobbing “let me out!"
A thought indeed bizarre
But one can only think that...
“Maybe these birds are?"

A glooming sense of winged wisdom,
Although black and beady eyed,
It would not come as a shock
That their little birds, they never cried!

One cannot help but wonder
If they can see indoors?
Of course it may not seem so
but they always come in fours!

Look out the window frame,
Take a peek!
Observe the Raven’s coarse black beak.

*Just mind he doesn’t watch you back,
Or he will widen every crack.
I have always had a fascination with ravens, and I just found this and edited it. It's been a long time coming, I think.
AmberLynne Dec 2014
People ask me why am so quiet,
and I say it's because I have nothing
worth saying aloud at the moment.

I watch, observing others waste
their words, and I don't see the point.
When I speak, it shall have worth.

And yet, when I make attempts,
often I am interrupted by others
who value their own words above mine.

My words are no more important than another's,
but if I take the time to speak them,
I feel I should be given the chance.

So why am I so quiet? Honestly,
part of the reason is because
even when I bother to speak,
                                                    no one hears me.
12.8.14
logan misseldine Nov 2014
I see the children observe this world
Innocently
I see them observe
The wrinkles in hands
The wrinkles in faces
The scars
Their father's tattoos
Their mother's smooth hair
Innocently
They see through barriers
Simple friendships made
Whenever they make contact with a stranger
With a wave
Or a smile
A laugh
Innocently
They are immune to the barriers that differences make in a "matured" mind
They only observe
Innocently
Rod E Kok Oct 2014
Murmured voices break the silence

To my right
a cute couple clink
their wine glasses together
in a celebratory toast.

Off to the left,
an older gentleman
engages an old-ish lady
in whispered conversation.
I’m guessing he’s whispering
sweet nothings to his bride.

The well dressed young man
standing at the bar
survey’s the crowd,
looking restless.
He seems to be waiting
for…

Ah, that beautiful girl
that just walked in.
Her eyes light up,
his face breaks into
a big smile.

I love the ambience
of this old place.
Red carpets,
dim lights,
candles flickering in
every direction.

My time here is
almost done.
I only need
some sugar
for this last
cup of coffee.
My prompts for today were the words sweet, chocolate, indulgence and sugar. I struggled with this, but as I sit on my couch with the Coffitivity app playing in my headphones, it came to me. I hope you enjoy it.
Tessa Aug 2014
today i saw a row of schoolchildren at an airport
observing the beehive from the outside
they have never touched the skyline
they have never been inside
they live on the outskirts of this city
their lives are a contrast to mine

i could see the wonder painted on their faces
they were dreaming
in their private minds
they had become more than school children  
they were a part of the city
they had a seat on the plane
we all have dreams
Jaanam Jaswani Mar 2014
he got them in a box, over Christmas
and he wore them everyday that week
the pyjamas, they were blue and white
oh how cozy he was each night

at age eight, the world was his oyster
and he dreamed of hanging bridges
the pyjamas, they made him fly
oh how, how he soared so very high

he tucked them away, as the flowers grew
and away they were kept year by year

the boy still closed his eyes, though
he was led into a world, by himself
the pyjamas, they were catching dust
this world, a place oozing with lust

he glanced at them, as the flowers wilted
and glanced at they were, year by year

it started a crack in the boy's voice
Peter Pan was now fictional
the pyjamas, were still there for him
but he, took each day with more grim

he opened the box in his closet, as the flowers grew again

it was a metamorphosis
you could even tell by the hair on his face
the pyjamas, they no longer fit
and now he, had a reputation of grit

he tucked them away, as the flowers grew
and away they were kept year by year

his son received something similar, over Christmas
the little boy hoped for a video game
the pyjamas, still blue and white
held less significance at night*




it was time to throw his pyjamas away
he burnt his child-like innocence, as
his memories - slowly - became dull, and grey
written for TJ.

— The End —