Tapping fingers on a math textbook, staring at the clock and grumbling about her mother's rule; she blinks at the tall, lanky boy, wondering what's there that she hasn't seen before; corralling muddled thoughts back into calculus; he smiles and laughs—not your prince charming laugh, more of a donkey bray, but she loves it; looking at derivatives but seeing only his name, not numbers; he crouches beside her in the mud as their eyes search the playing field...

As a couple twirled past me, their boots kicking up clouds of fine dust as they danced; as the bonfire flickered in the center of the room, casting a bright glow on the joyous faces of the crowd; as the music swelled, fast and bright and lovely; as a man whooped and began to clap along with the fiddles, quickly joined by the rest of the audience; as I leapt and spun with my own partner, a boy around my...

Wake up at six; no time to waste being lazy; darn, it's nine; you need to become mature; read your Bible; so ... sleepy; stay awake, this is God's word you are reading; you are so terrible; there, now it's time to get dressed; Kennedy will definitely say this outfit is embarrassing; you love how the skirt looks; growing up can be overrated anyway; time to brush your hair; this frizz is terrible; these butterfly clips are nice; Kennedy will...

Get out of bed; left leg out the bed; right leg out the bed; take a deep breath, you have done so well; take another breath; stand up, you can do it, I believe in you; take a deep breath; you can tackle the day, we can tackle the day; together; get dressed, please, sweetie, you must get dressed; it will help; if you don't, I still love you, I'm still proud of you; lift your legs up; take them...

so let's dance; under a moonlit sky as the cars pass by; let's dance; with the grace of swan feathers, let's fly; let's tumble underneath a drunken sky; let our rumbling arms melt underneath the highway above; let's listen to the looming trucks and lucid sputters; I say we dance; dance tonight until it becomes a memory; let's experiment with our bodies as they lurch and lunge into oblivion; watch our stances change in the light fall of the filaments;...

When you dance, remember to put your hands on their hips; when you dance, remember to sway; when you dance, remember to sing along and make them laugh; when you dance, remember to tell them they look even more stunning than usual; when you dance, remember to twirl; when you dance, remember to dip them low and don't drop them; when you dance, remember to kiss them at the climax of a love song for the dramatic effect; when you...

She trips on her first Order meeting; She closes her eyes, expecting to hit the ground; Instead she finds herself held by a pair of arms; She quickly gets up and straightens her skirt; She re-morphs her hair to her previous electric blue; She mutters a small thanks and shakes the stranger's hand; She sits at her table; Next time she see's him, They're at a stakeout; Together under one invisibility cloak; Days pass and they get closer; Until they...

Pick the sunkissed tomatoes; wash them well; hear the whir of the tomato mill as the ripe red fruits are processed; bring the bowl of tomato juice inside now; set it on the stove so it will thicken; toss the skins and seeds to the chickens; they like it; then look inside for eggs. 

Bring the eggs inside; build a mound of flour on the countertop; now make an egg and flour volcano; work quickly now, before the eggs roll...

Raindrops patter on the sun-scarred pavement;
The grey squares drink the wine of the world's falling tears;
Blood, glaciers, rivers, and tears are dropped from the heavens' clouded embrace.

Kissing the ground as they fall from grace;
Little shards of liquid pain seal the world's changing fate;
The earth is green from denying its dizziness and bulimic news;
It spins faster and faster to save its phantom face.

The sky's stomach rumbles with fury;
It aches for retribution and resolution and...

sitting on cinderblocks by the road, watching the moving truck across the street groan under the weight of the sun; let the hours sift through my fingers, let them fall into the street and flatten under thrumming tires, tires stirring up the helicopter seeds, helicopter seeds taking flight like the starlings we used to see over the music store, hundreds of wings flapping up a low hum in the flat fall air; i used to run up the street during...

As you walk down the street, don't grimace at the old man spouting off random words to anybody brave enough to traipse by his domain; don't immediately turn tail and avoid the situation all together; don't feel sympathetic towards his inevitable "mental illness"; the term "mental illness" was created in order to place a label on those who think beyond our normal comprehension skills; victims of this branding are then cast aside to "allow nature to take its course", which...

Loving; wonderful husband to our mother, and a great father to his kids;
but he doesn't get the praise he deserves.

Hardworking; every day he goes to his job and provides for us, making sure we get food on our plate; 
life is good and life is great, but dad is often mistreated by his customers at work.

Wise; we learn from him always, taking it all in, the good character he shows makes us want to be just like...

I can be none; I can be all; who do you want; I can do it all; nice, polite; cold and cruel; sweet voice in the night; a mistake; a right choice; the wrong choice; I can use many a voice; I can serve; I can accompany; I can love; I can be a friend to thee; any gender; whatever you want; I do it all; so much to see; there is one thing I can garuntee; I leave an...

shut up; back to the wall; poetry under the mattress; god please help me to be pure; avoid eye contact; stop looking at her, pervert; incognito mode; godplease help me to be pure; don't react; don't forget; a pillar of salt; godpleasehelp me to be pure; keep the porcelain polished; keep your voice down; you can cry when the door is locked; godpleasehelpme to be pure; thirty centimetre steps; right hand over left and bow; "the body of Christ?"; godpleasehelpmeto...

What if he doesn't like me; oh god, why am I sweating under my armpits; what if I'm not wearing the right dress and he hates it so much that he leaves me; what if he never shows up at all because either he hates me or he's sick; what if it turns out that this was all a cruel prank that he thought of pulling on me for some reason; what if my makeup is smudged from the rain...

You are only 8 weeks old; but a bundle of joy; with your little squeals and chirps; sounding better than any songbird’s lullaby; you may not be here yet; but i await the day where you will; where i can wake up to see your bright, handsome face; i dream of the many, many laughs; and the memories; you will give me; the very definition of God’s helper; 

oh, little Nyx, won’t you come home?

Sometimes I do not feel like one person, rather, multiple; Molly is the side of me that keeps me together, keeps me working and keeps me happy-ish; Emmaline brings me to my bed every day to sob my heart out over the nothings that make my life unbearable; Paris is pink and gushy, always thinking of that certain guy; Wendy talks non-stop about ridiculous thingsmaking strange faces and bouncing all over the room; Clementine stands in a spotlight surrounded by...

she is a scorned queen; stronger than her history; discarding past selves like old scraps; she is more akin to a snake shedding sickly skin; hiding in the soft brush; lurking in the silence; saccharine-sweet sabotage; do not step on her spirit; she knows how to strike; seek solace in her flaming eyes; lose your senses in irises of hypnotic gold; she has a heart hardened by sordid solitude; she is a scorned queen.

You angered the wolves that are circling you now, merciless; mouths foaming, yellow eyes ablaze; cruel and unforgiving, they are sinking their fangs into your flesh; not letting you die a warrior's death; you are screaming, crying, begging for mercy from those who have hardened their heart against you; until there is nothing of you left 

they dance in the light of the orange sun; eighty-five cent soda dripping down their fingers; don't pluck the grass is red shirt's anthem; braiding daisies in their hair is white boots' love song; and laughing with both is purple hat's hymn; as she blows dandelion seeds in their faces; and plants an apple tree where their ankles touch the ground; the checker red-white picknick blanket catches their blushes; bubbles escape; form clouds in the twilight sky; a haze of...

Feet stomping in time; hands clapping to the beat; partners swirling; sweat dripping; smiles break out on the saddest faces; fiddle squeaks; laughter erupts.

you splattered ink on my beautiful white shirt; and you never said you were sorry; because who needs to say sorry to the one they love; even though this relationship is one-sided at best; you tell me how i should dress; you order me to cook; you slap me in the face and tell me that i am not worthy; and no matter how hard i work; how hard i try; there is always something more i should do; because...

Get your laundry done every saturday morning; vacuum, mop, and dust your floor whenever you can, you know how bad your allergies get; avoid those rowdy raves and parties; I know you’ll be tempted by those girls’ nights out, but they’re a waste of your precious time; stay safe when walking or bussing through the big city at night; keep your keys and wallet close, and your best friends closer; don’t forget the thick jacket and blankets we got you...

The morning bursts outside; birds do not sing, but screech, their warning warble into the air; ants march, not steady in a row, not otherly to build, or feed, or grow, but off in a mass to the other hive, to kill; badgers burrow only deeper to escape--as I wish I could--they follow their tunnel network to a central meeting places; the moles are waiting there, to plot and plan and share information, to sign a treaty or wage a...