It Starts Like This

by Shelby Leigh

when you have the power

  to watch them heal before your eyes

  Mold

  my mind yearned for something greater

  than what I could see

  with my own eyes

  and every day I thought

  there was something wrong with me

  because I was not happy in this life

  my mind yearned for something greater

  than this constant cycle of hate

  but as far as my eyes can see

  we live in a world

  where people aren’t people

  until they fit your perfect mold

  Passion

  because all it takes

  is passion,

  passion that burns

  like an everlasting candle

  in your soul

  that is the first thing

  you think of when you wake up

  and the last thing you remember

  as you drift asleep

  if it burns out,

  this does not mean

  you are not passionate—

  your candle just encountered

  a gust of wind

  and is ready to be lit again

  when you are ready

  for its glow

  See You Soon

  I remember sitting at the kitchen table

  practicing my writing.

  My little left hand grasped a pen

  and I proudly showed off my cursive to you,

  watching the admiring, toothless smile on your face.

  I remember walking by you on the couch

  thinking you were asleep.

  I tip-toed past only to find you were tricking me.

  You grabbed me and held me up

  before I fell to the ground in a fit of laughter.

  I remember being in awe that you

  could carry me with your eighty-year-old bones.

  I remember the jokes

  and the choking fits

  and the hospital visits

  and sitting in the front row at church

  watching my mom dab the tears in her eyes.

  I remember the reception and the blurred vision

  when I wasn't sure if I was laughing or crying

  at the stories people shared of you.

  I remember going home that day feeling empty

  but knowing you're better off,

  wherever you are.

  A Reminder

  remember that sometimes

  it’s ok to close your eyes

  and forget the world,

  to think for yourself,

  breathe deeply,

  and do that one thing

  you’ve been putting off

  for months

  and when you are ready

  to view the world with

  new-born eyes,

  you will find that

  the stars still shine,

  the waves still crash,

  the sun still rises,

  and

  your heart still beats.

  It Ends Like This

  yesterday I woke up tired

  it hurt to open my eyes

  and so I went back to sleep

  and when I woke up again

  the sun was disappearing

  and I lived in the darkness

  today I woke up sad

  but I pushed myself to

  get up and get dressed

  and it hurt at first

  but then I smiled at the sun

  and I walked in its rays

  tomorrow I'll wake up happy

  and if not tomorrow

  then maybe the next day

  or maybe it will take me

  a week or a month

  but I'll get there

  Shelby Leigh © 2016

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1535597666

  ISBN-13: 978-1535597661