The Poetry Marathon

Fire blazes on the surface of the moon

Moonlight flickers with oranges and deep reds 

On the wildflowers sprouting around me

At incredible speeds

The stone surface of my altar

Burns with an energy

That could heal the sick

Or end them

An energy created by me

I pluck a dandelion

Still flowering 

A wonderful shade of gold

And place it in my small iron cauldron 

Humming an old song

I sprinkle black salt on top of it

And sway to the rhythm of the earth

It holds me

Steady

And unwavering

Grounded 

Like the roots of the strongest trees

As I call the fire of the moon toward me

Her fire blankets my skin

And a warmth I’ve never felt so strong

Envelopes me

The fire becomes me

And I become it

Reaching for destruction…

There is horror in her gut

Scraping and clawing

Traveling through the rivers of her blood

Begging for release

There is a rage in her hands

That spills into silent moments

Buried deep

Deep

Deep

Searching for release

Anguish twists her heart

Molding it like clay

Flimsy and wet

Unstable

Easily falling apart

Desperate for release

Tensions knot her muscles

Like rope

Leaving lasting indentions in their memory

Tight and controlled

She moves through the valley

Pleading for release

“When,” she cries, “will this dread release me?”

Tears pooling on the collar of her t-shirt

Her body trembles with no end in sight

“When will this horror release me?”

Shadows flicker in the corner of her eyes

Urging her on

Pushing for release 

For the anger galvanized

Into a weapon of iron

To pierce through the light

Releasing itself 

Free

They want peace
They call it peace
As if peace is justice
With a fancy wig
And flashy jewelry

As if calm streets
And pretty murals
Will bring them back

They call it peace
When they mean suppression
When they mean conformity
When they mean complacency

They call it peace
And they want us to call it peace
To protect their economy
To protect their supremacy
To protect themselves

They call it peace
And they’ve got
So many of us calling
It peace

No justice
No peace
No justice
No peace
No justice
No peace

So we don’t call it peace
We don’t call it a riot
We won’t go back to
‘Normal’
This is the uprising
Hop on board
Or step aside

She looked lost
As if someone snapped their fingers
And she was transported to another world
Shocked, frozen, and scared
She was scared

And I could see it in her eyes
The way her pupils widened
How her blinks slowed
And the wrinkle of her nose

There was a gleam on her lips
Round and full
Covered in gloss

There was a sparkle on her eyelids
From the shimmer of her shadow
Brightening the dark mahogany of her eyes
Showing it’s brilliance

Her fingers trembled
There were always things to fear
Things to be afraid of

Walking down the street at night
Without a set of keys between her fingers
Or daring to feel confident in her sensuality
Outside of her bedroom walls

She was taught to fear the night
To hear the monsters as they crawled
What she feared the most
More than werewolves
And wendigos
Was herself

I should have seen them coming
I heard them howling for hours
Their steamy breath tickling my ears
I wasn’t afraid
Per se
I was a witch and I had the means to end them
I could take down two hellhounds at a time
Using my blades
Earth
And
Fire
I could have swung them
Landing them right between
Those ugly mutts’ eyes
But I wondered
With all that I’ve done
All the people I’ve hurt
All the creatures I tormented
Should I fight?
Should I wave my hands
To ensure my survival?
Maybe I should accept what was coming for me
Maybe I should let fate have her way
Their paws slammed into the ground behind me
Shaking the very foundations
I flinched
Foamy drool dripped onto my shoulder
If I was going to fight
I would have to move
But if I wanted to lay down…

Under the light of the moon
Silver and unsure
I ponder

What was it all for?

The gatekeeping
The anger
The hate
The superiority complex

The sun and the moon
Both celestial beings
Each wonderful
In their own ways

But they share the sky
Giving each other
The chance
To be the center
Of the universe

We are all made of stardust
Like the sun
Like the moon

So if they can share the sky
Why can’t we?

I thought of who would fight for me
When war was waged
I thought of whose hands would grip the handle of a blade
And wield it in my honor

Who would bleed
Throwing fists and kicks
Slicing skin with sharpened knives
Raising a hand in triumph
Believing that I was worthy of it all

Certainly, I should defend myself
But my hands are covered in bruises
Knuckles covered in open wounds
Blood dripping between my fingers

My heart is tired
From the battles I’ve won
On my own

Twisted ankles
Sprain wrists
Fractured bones
Concussion
After
Concussion
After
Concussion

I thought of who would fight for me
Of who would risk their lives for my benefit

It’s lonely here
But I must continue to fight

We were never meant to have this
The one thing we are fighting for
The one thing we would die for
We were never meant to have it
Bright red oceans
Trees with purple bark
And leaves that fall like
Rainbow glitter
We weren’t meant to have this
Like clouds made of cotton candy
Hearts softened by love
Respect and honor
We were never meant to have this
Like twisting pink fields
And safety in numbers
And a sun drenched in blood
We were never meant to have this
Black lipsticks
Pastel combat boots
Fishnet stockings
And happiness
We were never meant to have this

But we will

Defiance: a daring and bold resistance
Your hair defies gravity
Climbing toward the sky
Yearning to meet the clouds
From whence you came

Your skin defies the rays of the sun
Absorbing its light
Warm golds
Deep blues
Rich browns
Containing stardust

Your smile defies the system
That was built to uphold a standard
That oppressed your soul
Stomping you into the core of the earth
And yet you find joy
In a dance
And in a song

Your softness defies all belief
Fighting against the stereotypes
Of strength that withstands all abuse
Of being undeserving of love and tenderness
You defy all these lies

There’s beauty in your defiance
Never forget that

He wrapped tightly wound coils around his fingers
Smoothing the frayed kinks with his thumb
His eyes, like blue goldstone, sparkled
Tiny, gold flecks glittered as sunlight poured into the room
Flooding his face with a magical glow
As if his face was a gift from the Old Gods
Left on my doorstep

His lips, shaped like the perfect bow
Soft and dark
Were the ribbons that I got to unwind
The tip of his ochre nose
Was the thin piece of tape
That, when I touched it just right
Released the gift of his smile and a full-bodied laugh
That reverberated on the surface of my skin

I could stay like this
Counting the almost black freckles
Scattered across his cheeks
Until my breath became weak
And my mind began to fade

But I wouldn’t
Because the thought of existing without him
Whether here or somewhere else in time and space
Filled me with a sadness I never knew existed
Yes, I could survive it
But question was
Would I want to?