Report

"I'm a little down toda-"

Report.

"Therapy's just a week awa-"

Report.

"Please, just let me go back to my dor-"

Report.

"I have an exam I need to study fo-"

Report.

"Please, stop reporting. I'm fi-"

Report.

"Please, ask me if I'm ok before you repor-"

Report.

"You want me to speak up when I need help-"

Report.

"But all I'm learning is to shut up and shy awa-"

Report.

Send Silence Packing

I see your backpacks.

The ones that felt so heavy,

You fell

And couldn't get back up.

I see you.

I hear your screaming.

I was screaming so loudly

Others couldn't hear me,

But I can hear you.

I was there too.

If only they saw you

Before you were seen

Six feet under.

I've come out the other side.

I've had people who care lift the rocks out of my backpack

So I could breathe.

I can breathe.

I never lost my breath,

But was suffocating

6 years ago.

9 months ago,

I wanted to leave.

I believed

Lives would be better

If I wasn't there.

But now I see

I am seen.

I am known.

Now I see hope

If only just a glimpse.

Now I'm clean.

I wish you could've felt that too.

Betrayal

 I gave my life to you.

You were my home.

You were my family.

I began to serve you,

But you ripped my heart out

Before turning me away.

And it burns.

My very being screams

For you to take me back,

But somehow,

That might just twist the blade.

Show and Tell

I'd love to share these words

Exposing my heart and soul

But is that too much

For show and tell?

Our Book

We were our own book,

Beautiful cover

Containing a

Poetic friendship inside,

Line by line,

Written with ease.

We were on the same page

For six years,

Then suddenly,

You've closed the book,

Disappeared,

But I didn't get to read

What the last line was

When you declared

The book was done

And you

Moved on.

You flipped the page,

Disappeared,

Now I'm in tears.

Cloudy Silver Lining

 Maybe I see the

Silver lining

In every cloud

Because those

Around me

Told me

The low highs

Weren't enough

From me.

Now,

Should I just

Tell lies?

That I'm fine?

That everything around me

Is fine?

I'll tell you

"I'm fine"

And lie

If it makes you happy

While I'm dying.

Goghing to Blossom

The breeze

Brushes through the trees,

Rustling leaves

Ready to fall

Into winter.

Sunflowers still

Somewhere between dead

And alive,

But for now,

Irises bloom with brilliant beauty

Until they are snipped from their stem.

Snipped from their stem,

They may wilt,

But nothing will steal

Their vibrant color

Or ecstatic beauty.

(June 6, 2022)

Attack (Prey)

These red eyes enclose me.

Screaming

Bursting through

My brain.

Attacks

From all sides--

Numb.

I feel

None of it.

It was there

One second

Now gone

In a split second.

Now

I have this fear

I'm being watched.

Hyenas with daggers.

I'm in danger

Not allowed

To move.

I'd turn the lights out

But I feel it's

One step closer

To my lights being

Put out.

Swap

I'm on a hill,

Hyenas below,

Now I'm the one

Grinning.

Fly

As more predators

Come close,

I lose

Their grip,

Spread my wings,

Flying high above,

Soaring,

Circling my new prey. 

(May 29, 2022)

Never Again?

Back in 2018,

Students screamed

"Enough is enough!"

Here we are,

Repeating the same thing

Enough is enough!

We made strides

Nationwide,

Students demanding change.

Enough is enough!

We made signs

And chants

That maybe our voices

Would be heard

And they were.

Enough is enough!

17 minute marches to remember

The 17 students murdered

In the Parkland massacre.

Enough is enough!

We stood

Hand in hand and

As we cried,

We cried out

For the murders

Of our children

To end.

Enough is enough!

For students

Not be required

To learn

"RUN.

HIDE."

FIGHT."

Enough is enough!

Stop taking the problem

And giving it

To students

To learn.

Take it upon yourself

To make

Radical change.

Real change.

These are

Real students,

Real staff,

Real teachers,

Real guns,

Real blood.

How many times

Need we scream

"Enough is enough!"

Until no school

Ever again

Need worry

About guns.

About safety.

How much

Has changed

Since 2018?

When will

Gun reform

Respond

To these

Murders?

When will

"Never again"

Never need

To be said

Again?

(May 25, 2022)