Xanadu
 

There are two baselines connected to two side lines that form an 84 by 50 ft rectangle. The rectangle is covered in precisely drawn out lines on either half of the court. The second I enter this cramped space and step onto the freshly polished hardwood floor, only one thing comes to mind— by the end of the 32 minutes, the bright red numbers underneath home are more than away. Once I look up to see those first eight minutes illuminated on the clock, nothing else matters. The w

The tan grains linger as I shake the towel. My hair is one stubborn curl who fears a brush with boar bristles. The boardwalk invites splinters cutting the soles of my feet. The lull has passed and all that is left— unforgiving waves. Cold water drips down my side, and my clarity sets in. I am no longer having fun. Please cover me up. Please bring me home. Chasing the changing rooms, sodium chloride infiltrates my skin. This is not what I wanted. But when the frozen flakes du

Shay Lublin I do not belong in belonging “Be careful of the possessive” (I never realized how haunting it is) My and mine make me shiver I want to loafe in my own being Is such freedom obtainable? My greatest friend is isolation, My biggest fear is objectification, Silent strings tugging me, fooling me, singing to me in sweet songs of manipulation So let me float in my own soul— At least for a while longer Clinging, dreaming My naive youth is fleeting after all I will belon

When she loathes me, I know it. Jabs and slurs: her rapturous melodies. Her words are harsh and unyielding, but they burn in front of me in full view. Even so, she fences with a ghost assailant, cutting right through me but never landing. Still, she slices away, leaving nothing to the imagination. She is unrelenting, tells me I am evil and quiet, calculating and uncommunicative, there but not. At least, she says, you know my pain. At least, she says, I share it with y

I want to be skis. Narrow and sure, Whispering down your path. Edges sharpened, waxed bright, Cutting fine lines through the powder Gliding through the wind. The Snow crunching beneath me on the mountains where I may roam Powdered trees raining as I pass Broken logs blocking my path Following the pipes made of brass Slipping on ice and falling on my ass The top of the mountain is where I observe all day So much to take in, I don’t know what to say The scenery taking my breath

School is supposed to be an escape, but instead it is the anxiety. The constant need to an A, on my dreaded Calc exam. Otherwise, I'm a failure. It becomes so unmanageable, I forget who I am. Having to keep a smile— When the words you hear, all just sound like air. Piercing eyes and neglect, from your peers. The whisper’s of “so and so did this,” and “did you see what happen to…” Followed by the lies and drama that foam out of their mouth like a dog with rabies. Too weir

How can truth survive When smothered by pride And stained by false pasts. My truth is fragmented And stained by the the pride of others. Truth is a key. The key to understanding. I lay on a grass field that once held a park Now it holds the barren memory. Before the park there was something And something before that. The truth of the land, its history Has always been yet it is still unknown. I seek to learn that history To find the truth buried by time. Once I find that truth

Running home from school, unicorn-printed backpack strapped on firmly, I run to my father — launching myself into his warm arms. “I made a new friend, daddy!” I yell, excitement painted across my face. Smiling, he carries me home, inquiring about this new acquaintance of the day. Slunking into the car, eyes half shut and mascara streaked across my face. Silently we drive home with his hand holding mine. Getting out of the car he hugs me, then grabs my bag from the back seat

I live in the chassis. Not a four wheel drive but a home with endless memories. Not many are allowed in my chamber of safety. Where I control the movement. What level of gas in the tank– or the way the wheel is turned. Decorated with a glittery rim around the push to start button. The gear shift is coming up and leaving its socket occasionally. Bodies who climbed across the center console to console me. I welcome people in so they never felt like I did. A stranger in a strang

I enjoy my thoughts of dread. I live in my room that is full of nothing. I look to the future and let it pass me by. I despise the draining doubts that I discover when I’m alone. I stare at my ceiling. If I stare longer, harder, more attentively… Will I find an answer? No. There are no answers written on my ceiling. There are no answers found in the folds of my brain. All I see is the hazelnut paint coating my ceiling. All I hear is a droning noise radiating from my al