I recall those crystal skies, picturesque,

Days that have gone into my mind and stayed

I remember the feeling of the dandelions

Their feather touch still gives me chills

As I daydream about those lime fields

The smell of jasmine still makes me laugh

Memories of chasing cows and bees

To be young and to be free of responsibility

I wish for those days back sometimes

As I look at the bulging calendar

My mouth feels full when I think of

Tasting fresh apples as I watched the sun

Wondering if it could stretch on forever

If the orange light went home at night

I miss the fresh air and bird songs

The sight of pebbles reminds me of

Occasions where I would throw them

Into a river or any water, I could find

To make a wish to grow up fast

Those days are gone, but my mind never forgets.

Diligently, sitting in the maple tree

A raven as lonely as I

Cawing to no one but the empty

Diligently, sitting in the maple tree

I touch the glass, feeling despair and empathy

As my darkness is reflected in its eyes

Diligently, sitting in the maple tree

The raven nods before bidding me a goodbye.

Despondency is spreading across youth

Burnout from university and jaded by

A job market that is too competitive

Along with a salary that does not cover the basics

This concoction of difficult circumstances

Is the recipe for apathy and giving up on everything

A trend that has made its rounds across the internet

With some being literal in the protest

By lying flat on the ground and not pursuing a home

Or a family, or any basics we aim to attain in this life

Young people are reflecting the circumstances given to

Them by older generations as experts try to figure out why

As if longer work hours, lower pay, inflation, and no benefits,

Was not enough to discourage people,

Our generation won’t even receive a pension for working hard

That is the reality of the modern world

Lying flat is not just a trend, or protest,

It is the only appropriate response to an unsustainable situation.

From debt to inflation,

Adults young and old

Can’t afford to live decently

Generation Z, as they call us,

May never know what owning

A house is like in this life

Because prices are too high

And excuses are vast in supply

The reality of renting is becoming

the same since landlords ask for

six months rent in advance

For those on an average wage

This request teeters on insane

On top of food, gas, and utilities,

The real expense of decisions fuelled by greed

Made by those with power

Is beginning to show despite the medias

Gaslighting and deflection

People with money and power overspend

And give us the bill,

The cost of that becomes a whole generation

Who can’t afford to live.

Let me pick up the pen and leave

I know what I'm worth at this point

Not out of arrogance but from hard work

I see my achievements as proof

That I'm not a lowly scribe but a force to

be reckoned with, I'm pure fire,

As each drop of ink alters the world

Writers are the ones who change society

But never receive the credit for their creations

Some of us are excluded from things

It is a constant battle between what is right and what is not

For those of us who create, we are kicked the most,

It is like burning an old painting because it is not a famous

name signed at the bottom

Value does not come from attention but quality

Some people don't deserve our words

Or the time we take to create beauty.

Reuniting with our eyes

Blue energy rains between us

Our minds are downloading each other

A rope bridge between our thoughts

One that has been closed recently

I have missed your expressions,

The subtle curve of your lips as you smile

And the pictures you paint with

Your body language as you stare

At my visage, imagining my adventures,

As I daydream about your experiences,

No sound is uttered, but we can hear each other

In this room, we are silent,

Yet have expressed everything we need to know

About the time that has gone by us.

Broadcasting your life

Then wondering why

People comment on it

You opened the window

And let the flies into

Your bedroom and cry

About how unfair things

Are when you don’t hear

The praise and love you

Assumed that you would get

Because public opinion

Is both sides of the moon

The alabaster light that we admire

But also, the cold shadow that kills.

Standing there,

Waiting for you

To see me and not look into

Someone else and

Act like I'm a shadow

With no thought, no feeling,

I am tired of being looked at

Like a mirror to reflect yourself

It feels like a cult at this point

Where everyone else is welcome

But me and that just stings

How can you forget so easily?

The memories, the effort that I put in,

As I am standing, my mind separates,

From you and this whole space

I'm not going to waste my time

Being a cog in this soundless interaction

If you can't remember then I won't be there

To remind you.

Many are maxed out on candy

The orange pumpkins on the porch

Are sagging as they sit

Whilst the last leaves fall

Winter is coming along

As the Halloween decorations

Are put into boxes until next year

The aftermath of a night filled with fun

And terror as remnants of cake, drinks,

and weird stains cover the floor for some

The festivities forever captured in our phones

Images of our costumes, friends, and memories

A comfort during harder times

As we prepare for the next holiday.