if not for forever
the way they fell in love was like a
white avalanche
falling ever so slowly,
slowly,
and then
all at once
they walked
hand in hand
through the one life they had been given
yet
choosing to live it together
giving time no recognition
but time comes and goes
it ebbs and it flows
stopping only for a moment
before each one
comes to a close
and they laughed
and they cried
as they let their two worlds collide
creating moments in harmony
that simply slid by
and he walked beside her
holding her hand
if not for forever,
just as long as he can
until the day came
when the sky took her away
and he walked by his lonesome
if not for forever,
then just for today
his moments of sadness
were overpowered with love
because the one life he had been given
created what they had become
fragile
think of it like a vase
sitting high up on a shelf
its structure seems quite sturdy
easy to think of it like Goliath himself
but sometimes
the wind blows
and the vase teeters a bit
it wobbles back and forth
and suddenly you’re afraid
you might lose it
and in the seconds of its wobbling
unsure if it may fall
you catch yourself just praying
that in this moment
time
will
stall
so you can put the vase down slowly
and secure it from descent
because if it falls straight down
that’s it
its time
is spent
but then
the vase stops shifting
and it settles down once more
and you take a wheezing breath
hands on your knees
staring at the floor
think of it like a vase
sitting high up on a shelf
its structure seems quite sturdy;
but one gust too big
and it’s all over
your life,
your chance,
yourself.
The day
when I hold you and ask
“how was your day?”
i don’t expect your words to pour out
in an endless crashing essay
but the answer that i’m looking for
is just more than
“okay”
because i want to make sure
that today wasn’t The day
The day when you realize
maybe the world isn’t so bright
and when you start to battle different monsters
lying in bed each night
The day when someone’s words cut
deep as a knife,
or The day when
your heart is breaking
just aching for life
from the minute you were born
i’ve worried about that day,
The day when you may realize
that everything is not always
okay
and through all these years
i’ve watched you grow
the innocence coursing through
so for now
i think i’ll stay here;
if for only one more minute or two
so, you look me in the eyes
and say
“today was really great”
and i smile and say
“awesome”
balancing your weight
i place you on the ground
and let you run away to play
and again
i am so grateful
that today
is not
The day.
a stranger again
i met this boy once
both unique and unrefined
i didn’t know him yet
and at first
i didn’t mind
yet as time went by
and days turned into nights
the plan i thought i’d had
demanded quite the rewrite
and for a moment
he became
the depth
of all i thought i knew
from the laughter
to the flowers
to the i love you too’s
but that was just a moment
a figment lost to time
and yes
i do still see him
walking through our town sometimes
and i’ll wave
and smile
if our eyes lock just then
because we often choose what stranger
becomes known
but rarely choose when they become
a stranger
again
Myranda Lockwood is a junior at Daemen University in Buffalo, NY with a major in professional writing and rhetoric and minors in both public relations and women’s studies. She hopes to pursue a career in publishing and one day write a novel or two. She has always had an immense appreciation for the arts and hopes that she can influence those she meets to just give it a chance to change their life.