there was a little voice in my head
that grew and grew and grew
until the deafening roar blocked out everything else
it screamed to stay in my dorm
don't talk to anybody
no one will like you
so don't try
for a while I listened to the voice
I stayed inside
and I barely engaged in social situations
but I got tired of the deafening roar
it was holding me back
and I'm having none of that
I study in the library
I go to events
I talk to my peers
and I participate in class
that deafening roar slowly but surely
quieted down
I can still hear its faint voice
but no longer will I be held back
due to my anxieties
I want friends
and I want to be social
so friends I will have
and social I will be

take it day by day
there will be ups and downs
but soon enough there'll be more ups than downs
life gets better day by day
one day might be low and sad
you might contemplate death
then the next day it will be a joy to live
so excited to do things and see people
take it day by day
things will change
it will get better
you just have to make through each day

Your sick incarceration
held against a shining will
‘til unmoored you walked

a light you couldn’t see,
that lifted others,
dimmed

each step seeming free
with inexorable gravity
drew to the woods

your last embrace
brought cold release
and all our griefs became

AFTEr
           noon
           is home,               again

          its bEEn a     l o    n     g
          day

         of lunch breaks
traffic
                                      swimmers
   ­                                   at
                           ­           the beach and children
                                      ,  singing school's over


bright pink clouds come ROLLIng
                                                      in,­ she hangs
                                      her scarf upon the nail

and climbs the stairs. ..


                                     (please sleep through
                                      the night
                                     )/middle daughter
        of }perfe}ct
                                    w
                          ­          o
                                    R
               ­                     l
                                    d   s

this NIGHT
⠀⠀⠀ is d%issolvin.g⠀(in
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀ 1}
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀ 2} a harsh han⠀⠀d of          v
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀i
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀g
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀­⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀o
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ r,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3}
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
]: radium⠀⠀b i r⠀ d⠀⠀⠀s
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀*****
⠀⠀⠀⠀the
⠀⠀⠀⠀water's
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀­⠀⠀⠀⠀ fresh coat of painted
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ night
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
a c/ross
⠀ the skin oF a ) kissless converSation
concerning
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀a
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ car failing
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀to
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ use a
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀turn signal
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ while changing⠀l a⠀n⠀ e⠀⠀s