Chapter Five
CAD EYED THE MAN THAT LAY ON THE GROUND. His hair was reddish blonde, his face bruised from the fall and a small cut on the side of his right cheek. His ax lay several yards away, lying in the muddied banks of the creek.
The man pushed Cad forward, making his knees land in mud. Cad turned his head slightly to the left and saw his kidnapper grabbed the other man by his hand and brought him to his feet.
I. Swingset
Quiet, hush
Don’t say a word
Breathe, push
Bring me a little closer
Swing, rush
Upward toes to the sky
Euphoria in my veins
Staccato creak of the swingset chains
Just enough childhood
To bring a smile to my face.
II. One Step at a Time
I’m releasing the little bits of myself
still attached to you
I’ve been like a willow tree
quiet and unassuming
leaning deep over the grass
but now
I will emerge.
I. Overexposed
Lying exposed in the fluorescent box
Surgical paper crinkles against my back
Impersonal hands press soft tissue
Those intimate parts of me no one is supposed to touch
Inhale, she says, I breathe in hand sanitizer aroma
Exhale, she says, I breathe out the sterile remains
Removes the ice metal from my ribs, the signal of the end
Put on my shirt and I'm no longer a lab specimen
They call a "patient".
it wasn't long--
maybe five or ten
minutes--
before the words
tumbling in my head
started trickling out
little pieces of
the weather,
the pulsing
in my aching feet
a trickle of something
--perhaps--
inspiration
that fragmented against
my teeth
1. Feet
Feet that move
down the path
do not think
daily about the
purpose of their
movement
until the day ends
and the tapping
of busy steps
subsides
2. Winter Walk
I. Truly
You showed me the ring
I loved the glow in your eye when you asked
If I thought she would like it
I have been dreading this day for such a long time
But now that it’s here I can’t even express
How happy and excited and elated I am for you
That diamond will look
So pretty on her finger
I can already see the light in her eyes when
You say the magic words
I will be at your wedding and I’ll watch you two
Dancing in the reception hall and I’ll know that you’ll last
Sometimes when you love someone
I: Cut Me Loose
cut me loose
from this fear of failure
give me your trust
push me
I can't do this alone
tell me I can
need me to
teach me how to live
please
break my fetters
and teach me to fly
I. Shrew
how much depends
on an apologetic
shrew
how much can you
say
how much can you
do
II. It's Complicated
airily, you said that
I had told you a lie
I have done no such thing
I said
you just rolled your eyes
Disclaimer: no disrespect is meant at all in the mentioning of stereotypes, just take it as a joke, because it is.
Bestest.
The word was bittersweet in her mouth as she gazed down at me. I was actually taller than her, I knew that for a fact, but she was wearing those intimidating stilettos again. I had an awful time balancing in a pair of heels. I don’t know how she did it. And anyway, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t a stiletto type of girl.
“So you had fun?”