The Poetry Marathon

Snow covered wood chips
Chill in the air
Beneath the structure
A gray fox
Children and teachers
Observe from a distance
Filled with awe and caution
Of the gray fox

Moving across the water’s surface
Soft breeze dancing across my face
Little birds singing their songs
Sun rising in the east
Come sit here with me
Beside the lake
And listen
Let go
Be

Late night conversation
Sitting on your couch
Nothing out of the ordinary
Just two friends
Enjoying each other’s company

I looked at you and something
Stirred inside of me
I took in your face
Your smile, your laugh
Your entire being

You turned to me
Your dark eyes staring
Without hesitation
Without reservation
I pressed my lips to yours

You didn’t move
Didn’t push away
Half a second dragged
Into eternity
The world was heaven

As quickly as it happened
I came back to myself
I realized exactly
What I had done
And pulled away

Another eternal second
As I took in your face again
Your smile replaced by confusion
Your laugh now silent
Your whole body frozen

My cheeks flush in embarrassment
I stammer out an apology
As quickly as I’d kissed you
I was on my feet
And running away

It was an impulse
A split second decision
I hadn’t planned it
I didn’t even know
I wanted to do it

A split second
And everything
Has changed

Draining of life
Encompassed in an unseen weight
Pretending it’s okay
Regretting
Emotionally exhausted
Sorrow hanging like a cloud
Should I just
Ignore it
Or
Not?

I suspected that
You were inside me, hiding
But didn’t know how much

I’ll try to ignore
Tell myself I’ll be okay
As my tears run down

My humblest thanks
For this opportunity
To challenge myself

Many fond memories
Good times with friends
Studying hard
Homework assignments
TV show binges
Four and a half years together
Now, nearly that long apart

I could use a little sleep right now
But I’ve gotta keep pushing on
So close to the finish line
Just a little bit longer

Water droplets fall
The world is being reborn
Its sins washed away

It creeps up the brick
Ever reaching for the sky
Sprouting from
A mere crack in the concrete
It continues to grow
To cling to the red stones
Time passes and its leaves
Now cover the windows
No one has lived there in years
So it doesn’t really matter
It stretches its vines
Swallowing the building slowly
One day you will hardly recognize
The place it once was