From my branches hung pink streamers that danced with the passing wind. The youngest of the Spark children’s birthday had just gone by. The Sparks, before that, had been the Horns, and long before them, the Wrights… so many families had lived in this house. I have remained in this yard for many years, helping each family enjoy their time, offering shade, and giving them a place to lie down and rea...

De mis ramas guindaban serpentinas rosadas que bailaban con el viento que pasaba. Habia pasado el cumpleaños del menor de los hijos de los Spark. Los Spark, antes de eso eran los Horn, mucho antes los Wright... tantas familias habian pasado por este casa, yo me he mantenido muchos años en este patio, ayudando que la familia pase un buen tiempo, tomen la sombra y se acuesten a leer. Por lo general ...

You know in early autumn where the days can still feel like summer, but the mornings are deep into fall. The ones where the fog covers the ground, not yet burned away by the sun. The ones where the breeze is chilly.You sit on your front porch with a mug with chai in it or perhaps coffee, wrapped in a plaid blanket, just breathing in the crisp air. It seems the coming winter is inescapable, but tha...

The heat of the riot was inescapable, even from where Daniel crouched beneath the great oak at the edge of the square. The tree had stood for centuries, roots tangled deep in the soil, but tonight even it seemed to tremble.

Shouts of looting echoed through the streets — glass breaking, doors kicked in, lives torn apart.

Daniel clutched the old journal tighter. It wasn’t the jewels or gold they we...

You kissed me by the oak tree. Your eyes were inescapable.

You said you loved me, yet left me without a breeze of a goodbye.

You looted my heart, stole all my feeling, and left me numb and stone cold.

How could you?

How could you be so cruel to steal the love I save for the ones I trust?

This cold disdain I hold for you will never warm....

The past is inescapable

I realize as I sit under the oak

Looting for love...

“I am heading to work now.” I say to my partner as I grab my lunch pal and coffee.

“Where are you working today?” They ask.

“The lumber yard today, boss is building a new extension on his mansion and he has left us in charge of guarding it while he processes the wood.”

“Okay be safe! See you tonight.”

I get to work and we are all spread out on shift as we patrol certain areas. I have no idea...

Family is not a choice. You have who you have and you always will. Sometimes I wish I had it different. Sometimes I think it would be better that way.

—————

Pepole always tell me that they love going home and hearing the joyful voices of their family. They tell me that they would never want to be anywhere else but with the pepole they love. I, however, disagree.

I believe that family’s are loo...

Speaking of what,

I cannot fully, authentically preach.

Surrounded by what does not listen,

When I ask gaiety to let me be.

Far, away from

What turned my head storm, frail,

But it’s inescapable,

Looting my brain until I’ll wail,

Maybe because there still some things,

Pestering me, annoying me.

It’ll get better,

Life will flourish from the trees,

But oaks will always be slaughtered,

Cut dow...

Death is inescapable, I realize this now as I watch the oak box lower slowly into the ground, as a preacher speaks words that I no longer listen to. My mind slowly drifts back to that night, the sky was dark as ink, and me and her were running silently down the sleepy streets, racing each other like we always do, except this night was different, this night was cruel. A big hulking man came out of ...