it's been too long

these feelings-

they're swirling

inside of me

rainbows and butterflies

downpours and bitter coffee

i think

it's time

to set

them

free

ready or not, here i come.

Stand behind me, because isn’t this what lovers do?

Slipping into a familiar face, but still too far from the starlight stage.

Keep it! Let it burn, and now, RELEASE!

Dreaming of distant pools of honey and golden snow showers.

You move like grace, dancing to beautiful silence.

And now the finale!

Why is your foot staggering behind?

No, no, no, oh please heaven grant her a second chance?!!

I’m taking my stance, I can’t wait anymore.

And I don’t wanna let you go, wait just a little more...

I’m feeling so small, and the beaming lights from the stage are blinding me.

The crowd’s eyes are drawing closer and closer...

Will I also fall?

No.

Dark tremor lurks close behind, but I know I can make it!

Just a little more...

Cinthia, please make it, for my sake. Please!

The scenes are changing! The lights are dimming down, perfect! Just a little more and I’ll come save you... NOW!

Ready, or not, here I come.

It always felt like a bomb had just exploded the ice-cream truck seconds from it reaching our house. The commercials would slowly feature less fun in the sun and more colorful backpacks and strategically placed pencils. August loved to sneak up on June and July and scare them away from the fun. This year, August was sick ans slowly crawled towards us. June and July had had the pain of following a shitty act from March, April, and May. There was no fighting us now. The excitement had been infected with disease and worsened with "modern day solutions" from uncertain people. We're still in August, despite it feeling like years between Sunday and Friday. We're in some grey space where we set alarms and put on polo shirts to sit at the kitchen table for hours. Fireflies and ice cream truck drivers watch us pretend to be coping well on Zoom calls as we draw boobs and penised in out notebooks instead of working. The end of this school year cannot come fast enough, but it never runs quite as fast as the beginning of the school year.

My heart sings a beat of love

send me a partner

to have and to hold

to keep and treasure

forever and ever

never letting them go

not even in death do us part

Heartstrings Attached

your wish is your command

he says

“ready or not here I come”

your heart is attached

his is not

he will reach in with his bare hands

and rip your heart out.

Squeeze it till there is no spark.

He will stomp on it taking every breath

then he will eat it and

you will know

death

For he is heartless

Heartstrings Cut.

(blood drips from the words Heartstrings Cut)

Athena

09/15/2020