In Line

I stand bundled, head to toe. I gaze up, to only see mountains reach into the clouds. The mountains covered in white blankets that are in the ultimate condition for the downhill slide. Ski lift jolts, as we ascend into the clouds. We peak through the mist and see the top. Cold air breeze bites my nose. The sun reflects of the peak making a flicker as a diamond would. We reach the top, instant thoughts being don’t look down. We reach the launch zone, gazing into the white unknown. We strap our feet into the foot holds of the board. One last look into my buddies eyes as I say “here goes nothing.” I look back to the eye piercing white. I lower my goggles over my eyes. I push off into the slope. Heading towards the bottom.

bundled up
waiting on the ski lift
to fly

Early Morning Catch

Sun rises, surfs up. We wade out into the water, chilled, but starting to warm up. The bubbles form all around us. The sea foam begins to grip my hair, making me know we're almost to where the waves will form. Not far away, a wave ripples and curls over itself. Next, mine comes. I catch it too soon and stand up. I feel like I could do this for the rest of my life. Then I'm back in the water, waiting for the next one to come.

foam forms
grip tighten
board rides the wave

Heartbeat

The board outside the door creaks, and the door opens. He walks in. You knew he was coming, but your heart still skips a beat even though you’re in the middle of a fight. Suddenly the room seems ten times bigger than it is and the silence is overwhelming. You think maybe this is the end of things. It hasn’t been good lately, and you’re so lost in your thoughts that you barely realize he starts talking. Tears begin to gather in your eyes as you pour your heart out to him. You wonder what you could’ve done to stop this. Silence once again fills the room. Cold air creeps around you, and you tuck your feet under the heated blanket. The warmth makes you feel even more lonely. You’re lonely yet there is a person not five feet from you. The music from downstairs begins. It is not enough to drown out the silence.

bathroom mirror
air filled with the scent
of burnt hair and alcohol

Suburban Settlers

We shut the door slowly, attempting not to wake his parents. It’s dark and the summer humidity has gone for the evening where a cool breeze has taken its place. The sky is speckled with stars, shining in our direction, twinkling every once in a while if we glance up at the right time. We find two chairs out in the yard, our bare feet glazing over the dew-soaked grasses as we approach, and take a seat. Out of his breast pocket he slips two cigars, plastic-sealed and uncut. As he prepares them, I look around the square yard, outlined by short white pickets where the neighbors like to stand and say hello. But for now, the fence stands as a guard for no one, sealing us in together, a quiet pair in the height of night. He wipes tobacco clippings from his hands then gives me mine. Flicking a zippo, he sparks a flame which brightens the distance between us like a warming memory of our childhood past. As I swirl my cigar in the flame, puffs of smoke leave its edge.

the silent porch
cigar smoke dances
toward the stars

No Rest Yet

She is having a hard time balancing out this new chapter in her life. She is entering a whole different world; one that she was never really prepared for. Everything has been moving fast all her life. It has always been one thing after another; set a goal and knock it out. A fast pace routine. One minute she envisioning what it is going to be like next year; putting together her vision board of goals and how she is going to get there. Then, the next minute she is accomplishing every single one of her goals. You can say she is used to getting what she wants. However, once she tries to take a break or stop, she can’t. She doesn’t know how.

rolling d
          o
       w
  
 n
a steep hill
not being able to stop

Contrails

Sitting in a field is always nice. Laying back and staring at the clouds. Watching a dragon fly around the sky while there are jets zooming around. You see a man doing yoga and a cloud that looks similar to your high school crush. Then an actual plane flys through them and disperses them for another set of images.

third time moving,
the boy watches dragons and
knights duel in the sky

Not Singing

Walking in the rain has never been a pleasant thing. I feel every individual raindrop hit my head and splatter around me. I curse my inability to prepare properly and continue trudging along wishing I had an umbrella or even a coat. Cold and wet I stumble into the house and promise myself that I will always look at the weather from now before I leave.

dripping wet
I run inside and shake my head
like a dog

Out of the Blue

Under your toes, you feel the weightless of the clouds. You can hear the birds chirping as the fly by you. An airplane rumbles to your left. Your skin feels warm, from the sun. Reaching out, the clouds disappear in your palm. The smell of fresh rainfall is in your face. You can see for mile and miles in front of you. Nothing but clouds.

in the middle
         of cloud nine
   her soft touch

Neutral

Cruising through the trail on my red Honda 100 dirt bike. Beautiful multi-colored trees surround me on both sides. The dusty, red, clay-like, Missourian soil makes up the trail beneath me. The sun beams shine through the trees, I feel the breeze through my helmet and clothes, I smell the scent of nature and the soil. Out of nowhere I come to a downward hill and I'm terrified. Large, grey and white rocks protrude from the soil like an obstacle course. The steep slope stares at me with it's rut digging through the middle. There's no turning back now, this is the final part of the trail. I have to pick a side of the canyon to descend. I choose the left side and slowly release my brakes. I keep my foot close to the foot break and get a little too brake-happy which causes my tires to slide out. Suddenly I find myself traveling down the hill in the middle of the rut feeling all the rocks beneath my tires. I hold on for dear life and take the beating from the hill. I see the bottom of the hill, it's so close yet so far. Halfway down the hill, my bike shifts into neutral and I find myself going way faster than I want to be. I lose total control of the bike and hit a large boulder which ejects me off the bike onto the dusty sand. I made it to the end, but not how I planned . . . I lie there motionless.

dusty, red, clay-like soil
every fresh breath
earthly scent

All Stars

The sun is scorching hotter than ever on this perfect Sunday. Excitement is in the air as the seniors line up to be announced for which high school they are representing. So much talent present, so much bliss. We get the balls and begin playing matches. Everyone wants to win, but we all care more about having a good time . . . we've deserved it after all. We have nothing to prove today: we were all selected to be named to this Senior All Star team—everyone already knows we're good. Balls pound the court and shoes squeal and slide across the court.  A very nice sunburn later, and the matches are all finished. The North wins, but just barely.

squeaking and squealing
shoes slide
on the hardcourt

Together

My alarm goes off in the early morning. The sunlight streams into my bedroom, shining on the edge of my bed. I roll over and pick up my phone and squint at it with my still sleepy eyes: 8 AM. My feelings are mixed somewhere between excitement and dread at the idea of having to get out of bed. However, last night I had agreed to go run errands with my mom. To some it may seem like a less desirable activity, but to me it is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my mom in the summertime. I sit up in bed, stretching my aching back and neck. I get out of bed, placing my bare feet onto the somehow-cold carpet, and begin getting ready for the day.

In the car, the air conditioning is cold but refreshing, compared to the summer heat and humidity. As we drive to the main part of town, I see the world through the purple-red lenses of my sunglasses. I hear the rrr-ing of the engine, my mom talking through all that is on her list to be done for the day, and my music that gets gradually quieter as my mom keeps turning it down to talk. My mom and I agree to start our day with coffee, pulling up to the Starbucks drive-thru. Soon enough, iced coffee slides smoothly down my throat, seeming to light up my mood and body from the inside.

When we walk into the first store, goosebumps begin to cover my short and tank-top clad body. Smooth tile lines the floor and rows and rows of items are everywhere. But my mind can hardly focus because of the cold air-conditioning. Shopping becomes almost meditative for me except for the cold; it is quiet and my mom and I only chat to get opinions on items.

Hours later, we walk out of the store, plastic bags clasped in hand. The heat outside wraps around me like a blanket and I am reminded of how much I love summer. We make our way across the rocky parking lot to our car. The heat inside the car is overwhelming and I am back to fighting a battle of finding a perfect temperature. The metal seatbelt pricks my finger with heat, and I squeak in response, quickly laughing afterwards. There is a sense of comfort and happiness today. My mom and I drive off to our next shopping destination.

quiet introspection
an old woman’s purse
swings into my leg

Speedometer

Life upside down is not very fun. A moment that turned from bad to worse, on the first day of the year. From having a great time with out stainless steel container that held 15 gallons of fun, to being covered in glass. It was nobody's fault, just the fucking gravel road that forced the tires out from under us. In a moment's time we were head over heels. The first moments out were in fits of rage that this happened, then the nervous laughter, then the scolding. Man, we rolled into the new year.

the moonlight: .. .
mad..e the gr.av..el sparkle ..
l.ike a st.ary strea..m

Deadline

The sirens shut off! No that’s just my moral compass and it is being overtaken by adrenaline. 11:15. There is nothing to lose anymore. No time to check the time, because at this point not only is time money, but time in a necessity. Who knows when I’ll run out, who knows when I’ll be ran out for the last time?! Raids have been a commonality in life for me where I’ve come from. I was told this was going to be the one to end all. I never thought of the end all being me. Any how they’re getting closer. 11:16. Damn I am running out of gas, to bad I didn’t fill up before we went to the last house. I can’t remember everything, sometimes you have to remember what’s most important and put it in order after that. I feel no order in life anymore . . . I feel no moral codes being broken . . . I feel no life. 11:17, my last minute.

Failed?
34% the email said
now I must think ahead . . .

Too Quiet

She is grown now. In her mid twenties, living her life, hardly ever around anymore. It’s kind of like once she graduated college she moved on as quickly as possible; without even looking back. She was passionate about what she wanted to do, in spite of what her mother would have preferred for her to pursue. However, she did not care. She never let what others said or felt stop her from moving forward and succeeding in her career. She felt she needed to prove something. She moved on to her next adventure faster than her last; She loves her life and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but once it gets too quiet in her apartment, she looks back into the past; back to when she was a little girl with no worries and picks up the phone. She talks to her cousin for hours about everything that is going on. Then, begins to talk about how much better things were when they were little girls; when there was nothing to worry about, but who can have the first turn at playing hopscotch or riding a bike. When life was more simple.

she reminisces over
three little girls
playing hopscotch