I stared down at the sneakers, haphazardly tossed onto her shaggy white rug. They were strung with the lavender colored shoelaces I’d bought her for her eleventh birthday. She’d still worn them, all this time. The corners of my mouth lifted briefly until the same, relentless, traumatic image seared into my brain again.

A blinding flash of bright orange light. The deafening crescendo of a horn. T...

Cars fly by me in a blur. Or I fly by them. I’m not sure. They could be street signs. Or traffic lights. Red, yellow, green. Blue, purple, pink. It doesn’t matter to me.

Blue. A gradient of navy blues. The twilight sky. The sparkling white stars of a summer night. The dewy grass sticking to my bare torso under the heavy, humid Midwest air. A calloused fingertip, drawing gentle circles along my pa...

The truck screeched to a halt. Noah and I were thrown back, the crowns of our heads slamming against the cold metal. I rubbed my head as I rolled up into a seat.

Noah and I didn’t say a word, just turned to face each other. He nodded. There was a mutual understanding. We must’ve come to a checkpoint. We only had a minute.

The driver was speaking to someone, but I couldn’t make out what they wer...

At 2am I tell a lie

Tomorrow is the day I rise

Awake before the sun steals my thunder

But in the darkness of the dawn

I choose to keep the covers on

The overwhelming peace of sleep wins out

Panic and shame at 2pm

“You’re pathetic” repeats again

But tomorrow’s hope lives deep in my bones...

Hang up

Should I call back?

Intentionally vague

You like to lead me on like that

I cave...

It’s hard to be inconspicuous when you’re hanging upside down.

I watched their wicked faces contort with laughter. Some of them were doubled over in tears. I tried fruitlessly to pull myself upright. This was supposed to be a private practice. I was gonna show them…

But no, of course not. How could I believe that I, the anemic girl who could only afford wash her hair and clothes once a week, wo...

Long, grey scuff marks marred the white leather that surrounded the patterned, dull beige canvas. The canvas itself was littered with faded, light pink watermelon slices, half rubbed away inside deep, permanent crinkles. The matching laces, both frayed and one missing its aglet, spewed dust into the air under the friction of her tightly lacing them up. The brown rubber soles were mainly rubbed smo...

Fly

Again

Pass me by

You won’t look down

Hopelessly unkind

But I still search the sky

I do this every time

Romanticize on what could be

With someone who has never seen me

My seductive, delusional timeline...

We ran aground when we hit the estuary. Captain Mead’s eyes widened as the ship crashed into the shallow rocks at the mouth of the river. I turned away to hide my disdain.

I had opposed the decision to head north, but he had overruled me. He was stubborn, and his pride had now left us all stranded at god knows where. I had tried to get the crew on my side before we departed Port Nolte. I had exp...

Latch onto your chest

Drape my legs across your lap

So you know I’m yours

Butterfly kisses

I trace from your jaw to ear

Whisper “I want you”

My vanilla scent

Overwhelms your self-control

Turns your eyes to black

You spin me around

Forget uneaten pizza

Trade for salty skin

No past and future

Surrounded by fairy lights

I only see you...