Starlight
an afternoon,
with biscuits and tea
entangled around
a table with family
these hands,
my hands,
and yours too,
are nervously clammy
an afternoon, where the
light peaks down the hallway
pretending like I’m the
only dancer in the room,
on my tiptoes
doing ballet
celebrating grace on
this beloved Friday
an afternoon, where I laid
nestled into a clean white sheet
I was pale and
entering oblivion,
my body fell
apart weak
my only thought is that I need
to write letters to those I love,
in case I can
no longer speak
an afternoon, when
I was sickly aching
waiving my white sheet, but
my hands wouldn't stop shaking
reminiscing on my
favorite coping skill,
that’s when my
mind is escaping
an afternoon, spent on
the warm sand with
the ocean as
cold as ice
wishing I could live in
that moment forever,
with a suntan
and a love bite
on top of the world,
looking down on a city
that glistened
like starlight
- Leah Rae