She reaches out for a familiar embrace, it seems

simply out of habit,

a normal show of affection towards the man she loves.

Suddenly she stops.

One hand slides inside her pocket, the other lifts her drink

and her smile fades.

She removes her stare from his back and looks to the stage,

he remains oblivious.

Not knowing anything had happened or any feelings showed

they watch in silence.

Come Out for a Drink

By Ali Whorley

Come out for a drink

You can just have one,

Don’t overthink

No harm is done.

You can just have one

But one leads to two,

No harm is done

In a shot that is blue.

One leads to two

My drink is laced,

In a shot that is blue

I collapsed on my face.

My drink is laced

I fell for his bait,

I collapsed on my face

This isn’t a date.

I fell for his bait

Don’t overthink,

This isn’t a date

Come out for a drink.

In a wake of passing thought

          I feel a wave of long regret

                   invoking flames within my heart.

It bites and fights to bring the dead

          and with a rush of rolling dread

                   the surface seals above my head.

There goes the light,

          at last it’s gone,

                   the dark creeps in, within my bone.

I drowned today

          not lacking air,

                   but in a pool of black despair.

Tomorrow I will breath again,

          a ripple maybe, where the wake had been.

Austrian antelope puree the cantaloupe.

Brazilian bats roll bread dough out until it’s flat.

Canadian colts cream fresh dried oats.

Dominican dolphins take out the oven baked muffins, so they can soften.

European eels stir fry shrimp on the grills.

Finland flamingoes stuff fat filled fajitas, and serve adult guest with margaritas.

German giraffes give orders to the cooking staff.

Hungarian herring do the salad stirring.

Irish red ibus sculpt massive bulk ices.

Jamaican jackals machete coconut and make the sound of crackle.

Kenyan kangaroos pour veggies in the kitchen stews.

Leone lemurs cool down chicken broth steamers.

Madagascar minks clean food out of sinks.

Norwegian nightingales store away food pails.

Ookala orangutans freeze beans and brown grain.

Peruvian peacocks pack to-go plates and cakes.

Qumran quails position seafood lobster tails.

Russian rams simmer sweet candied yams.

Sicilian seals professionally garnish dessert meals.

Turkish trout churn butter about.

Uganda unicorns shuck ears of fresh corn.

Venetian vultures prepare ethnic food for different cultures.

Warsaw wildebeest attentively observe the guest feast.

Xijang Xenops sprinkle seasoning on baked pork chops.

Yugoslavia yaks put food on tray racks.

Zambian zebras add zest and zing with slices of tangerine.

Tumultuous Childhood with No End
No Direction in Which to Send
Me to a Place of Confidence
To Believe I’m More Than Happenstance
Search for my Identity
To Leave the Harsh Reality
Behind

Forward Moves on Paths Directed
By a Power
Unaffected

Leads me to my Children Born
From my womb
They come adorned
With my Love

Fragrance None that can Compare
To the Smell of Newborn Hair
I Breath it In

Nestled Safely in my Arms
Promise to Protect from Harm
Understand
Why I was Born

To Effect Them

Into Being
Kind and Caring Loving Feeling
Always Sharing Never Harming
Gentle Souls

Just a Mom I’ve Now Become
Maybe Not Enough for Some
Though for Me
It Could not Be
Any Better

Than These Years That Have Gone By
Caring for You
You Know Why

Because I Love You

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
I Pray Thee Lord My Soul to Keep
And All My Children
Safe from Harm
Until Together
In Your Arms