Coffee With My Mind
By Alishia M.
After being lost for a few days, my mind has offered to meet over coffee
After 1st, she planned a party with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as the entrée, an “ice-breaking” activity where we draw and finally she suggested that we all express ourselves without any sort of hesitation
When I began to protest, she decided to go out for coffee
I haven't found the heart to tell her that I hate coffee
When we finally met up, like a bully, she overpowered my stance on everything
She disregarded everything I brought up
And forced me to ponder on her thoughts
Her anxiety overpowered mine
Like a domino falling, we were all on the ground
She forced me to worry about every. Single. Hypothetical situation
It's evident that she's so caught up in the darkness, that she isn't willing to find a light switch
She will cry in the middle of a party
She will try to break anyone's spirit
After an eternity, we begin to order our drinks
When I spoke a simple syllable in regards to my order
She cut me off, to ensure that we'd have the same order
She tells me that she fears non-patterns, that change leads to broken-ness, she even convinced me
so
While we were waiting on our drinks, she felt the need to enlighten me more on her insecurities
To make sure that I knew about them and have them
When the drinks came, she demanded that I drink it
After I hesitated for 1⁄4 of a second, she breaks into my already uneasy spirit
She tells me that I ruined her day
She says she knows that her friends hate her
That someone will leave her without saying goodbye
At this moment, I realize that she only made plans to get away from her inner-demons
That she truly wants to find the key to her caged comfort zone
She fears that people will leave her without saying goodbye
So, she chooses not to get too close to anyone
She knows that they'll hate her in the end
That every relationship will end
So, my mind and I had coffee the other day
She wanted me to tell you that she truly hates the person she's become and she's incredibly sorry
So, if you don't see her tomorrow
Goodbye
Fried Friends
By Bayleigh G.
My sister has always hated french fries.
Or even pierogies or just a baked potato
Much too potato-y
Not enough fry
I’m much the same about people
Much too people-y
not enough imagination
Losing Sensation
By Matthew M.
I fear the day I can no
Longer relish the gentle
Rush of wind
Across my skin, the leaves
That sit atop the tree’s
Golden crown swaying against its
Will.
The crisp cold of an autumn breeze.
I fear the day I can no longer
Hear lethargic drops of rain
Falling from dismal clouds, never
Smell its promise. Never again
Feel the shock as it falls upon
My face.
I fear the day I lose my voice.
When notes of joy, of melancholy,
Of self-expression, fail to trickle
From my throat, a river of
Ice failing to flow.
That my mind will cloud, and
New thoughts shall fail to grow.
What once was young and
Beautiful, shall ferment and rot.
A barren wasteland of thought.
Above all else,
I fear that I will never feel
The prolific warmth of love.
The sweet embrace of
Romance.
That I will die in solitude,
Drowning in a catatonic
Silence.
One Day
Jessica C.
I need more sleep and to wake up to the sound of chirping birds
I need fluffier pillows stuffed with more feathers
I need candles that smell like a stroll down a leaf littered road or the freshest spring morning
I need more pictures that transport me back to good times when I’m going through bad ones
I need strings of pretty little lights to flow across my bare walls
I need more vibrant plants that prove to me how beautiful life is
I need more time for friends and spontaneous fun
I need more time for art that brings me joy though it will never see the inside of a museum
I need more time for books and television that help me unwind
I need more time outside soaking up the sun
I need more time for me.
I have five hours of tossing and turning and an alarm clock that blares too early
I have dark circles under my eyes that may or may not be from last night's cry
I have one photo and it came in the frame
I have a plant made of plastic that sits in a corner collecting dust
I have late nights with my homework instead of friends
I have pages and pages of textbooks to read that are not my genre of choice
I have darkness even when the sun shines.
One day
I will get those twinkling lights and cloud-like pillows
I will paint the pictures and read the books that let my imagination run free
I will burn the candles that give me flashbacks and make me feel nostalgic
I will laugh so hard that I can’t breathe
I will experience days where I can’t stop smiling at every little thing because life is so good
I will have more time for me and more of what makes me happy.