Verity

Child of the stars that fell when the world faded

Friend of no one but the dreams that whispered vain compliments into deaf ears

Who once was the girl with wings who could fly to every corner of the earth and still have time to listen to the quiet singing in front of the campfire

Who remembers the world crumble with the weight of what she has and hasn't done

Who likes the swift cool breeze that sent shivers down her fragile spine

Who hates the fiery passion of those who were wrong but were confident anyway

Who believes in nothing but the pain that kept her awake at night and tired in the mornings

Who fears the slowly burning embers because when they disappear, she will too

Who hopes for change even when she knows she is forever doomed to despair

The least you could do

is serve your lies

and your bitter words

on one of your pricey,

rectangular dinner platters,

drizzled with honey

and covered in that

annoying parsley garnish

you seem to be obsessed over.

Add a scoop on the side

of cheap vanilla ice cream

that tastes more like

laundry detergent

than anything.

Hire a waiter

or a butler

to serve it

to me,

because you are

too cowardly

to hand it to me

yourself.

A beam of moonlight

Shine on your pitiful heart

Render you into perfection

Throw away the emptier part

Fate will tell you

Your path is golden

Grant every second wish, and

Snap the strings you’ve woven

Form neat line after line,

Start with your impurities,

And pester you to end

With your insecurities

Blow at your gentle

Flaming candle wick

While they piece you apart

Brick by brick

They would've loved us.

They would've loved watching us stride down the aisle, with me in my decorative white dress and you in your overly-dramatic tuxedo. They would've loved hearing about us, hand-in-hand, enjoying the wonders of the world. They would've loved listening to our petty little arguments that meant the world to both of us.

They would've loved seeing us as we danced together to whatever played on the radio. They would've loved visiting our monthly garage sales, in which I'd secretly sneak anything I didn't want to let go of back into the house.

They would've loved being happy for us.

If only you lived long enough for them to do so.

At first she thought she was deaf.

Then she heard a croaking noise coming from her own throat, and she realized she could hear just fine. Then she thought she was blind, because no matter where she turned her head, darkness followed. But then she waved her hand in front of her eyes and could faintly make out the outline of it.

And then she thought her entire body was numb, because she couldn't feel her fingers. But the pain told her otherwise as she stumbled to her feet, fell over, and landed face-first on the solid concrete.

The darkness was chased away, and as the girl picked herself up off the floor, she could see partially-destroyed buildings illuminated in the glow of the moon.

The moon. The girl looked up, turned her head, spun around, and blinked ten times. But no matter what she did, she couldn't spot it anywhere in the midst of the night sky. Shrugging, she stood up and took a hesitant step forward. Luckily, she didn't lurch towards the ground again. Two more steps. Then three. Then she was practically walking for miles, but the scenery didn't seem to change a bit.

No people lined the broken streets. No dogs tugged at their owners' leashes and barked at her feet. The emptiness of the demolished city filled the lonely girl's heart, and she assumed that she had either gone crazy or she was dreaming. She quietly hoped it was the latter.

The silence was filling her from her toes up to her head until she couldn't breathe. She wanted to break the silence, to scream, to shout, to kick and cry. But instead she kept walking. The changeless streets were like a drug, except the opposite of addictive.

And hours, days, maybe even years later, the girl fell and didn't get back up.

The stars are sprinkled on my hands.

The dots of color are universes

Each one detailed and complicated.

I can taste glory through my fingertips

And hear accomplishment through my nails.

Trillions of brains all stuck together

Trillions of hearts all lay broken on my palms

A quick breeze can destroy them all

And send them tumbling into the unknown.

But the stars are sprinkled on my hands

And they'll be there forever.