As the years pass I have seen more than you can ever imagine in life.

I saw a maniac’s control over a whole country, you might know his name,

My school was bombed and I was alone, scared in a dark basement.

I was only thirteen, too young for the terrible times that awaited.

Afterwards, the world changed where I could communicate in minutes, hooray!

Then came these little flat moving screens, like mini TVs,

now this is all normal and at everyday life.

Just when I thought the worst was over,

came this pandemic eighty-one years later on.

May the peaceful years await me,

with my family and friends,

together we will wait,

until this ends.

To my

grandmother.

her eyes reflected sky when she spoke: nothing ever happens the way it’s supposed to

she never looked at me when she got metaphysical, but I looked at her.

i could hear her voice now, disapproving, that’s not the right word jo

but i didn’t care when she laid with me under the stars,

the tops of our heads touched and i felt little shivers

run down my neck and shoulders and pierce my heart

over and over and over again, my pupils dilating

i wonder if she shivers when we touch

you cold? she asks, lifting her head

eyes closed, i pretend to sleep

she settles back into me

i sigh in relief

just us two

under stars

together.

There is a universe inside my soul, yearning to burst forth in every moment here.

There are stars in my eyes, shining shyly, shedding light on the pieces shared.

There is a wind in my mind, whispering ideas and always making music.

There is fire in my heart, burning quietly with sparkling blue flame.

Rejoice! The entirety of this world lays bare before me now.

Possibilities stretch out before my feet as my endless road.

My words can move mountains and shake stony hearts.

My words can ease Atlas's weary weight but,

I have so much to do now,

And so little time to use.

Hopefully my universe sets fire

To other dreaming hearts.

Sorry, I've run

Out of

Time.

My car pulls up next to a gas pump and my dad gets out to pump the gas. We were on the way to a friends house and needed some gas. Dad starts to pump the gas and then he goes inside to get a bag of chips or something. Mom, not knowing that he had gone inside the store, started to panic. 

     "Where did your Dad go?" She asks turning to look out the back and around another car. 

       "He went inside," I answer not really knowing why she is panicking. 

       "He what?! He doesn't need to be wasting money!" Mom says. Moms big on saving money. I roll my eyes and look out the window. Mom starts to text someone so she doesn't see it when Dad comes out of the store. He washes the side windows and then goes to finish the gas. He gets in a conversation with the guy next to us, and they chat for a minute or two. 

       "Where's your Dad?" Mom asks again. This time she looks toward the door of the building. "Is he still inside?" 

     "No, he's pumping the gas now," I look back from the window and am just in time to see him say good-bye to the person he had been talking to. He goes to throw away a paper-towel and starts to come back. I look down on my seat to see if I brought a book to read. I look up and see something disappear in my peripheral vision. I look back down and sigh. No book. 

      "Is your Dad still pumping the gas?" Mom asks. She doesn't even look up from her "novel". (It takes her so long to text.) 

     "No, he went to throw away something and I don't know where he is now," I say. I shrug and then look at the guy Dad had been talking to. 

      "Are you okay, sir?" I hear him say. I look out my window towards the ground and start laughing. 

       "What's so funny?" my sister says as she takes her earbuds out. She turns to where I'm pointing and starts to laugh also. 

       "I'm fine," I hear my Dad say. "Thanks though." 

        "What happen?" Mom asks. 

        "He fell!" my sister and I saw in unison. 

        "What?" Mom asks confused. I point toward the ground. Mom looks over and points and laughs. Dad lay on his side on the ground, propping his head up with his arm.         "Get up," Mom says. She pushes the door open and Dad climbs in after finishing the gas. 

       "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, don't miss Dads Disappearing Act!" my sister says like a circus announcer. We all break out laughing and I know we aren't going to let this one go.