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I don’t write anymore
Since you took away my pen.
I don’t cry anymore
Since you took away my eyes.
I don’t think anymore
Since you took away my mind.
I am dry and hollow bones.
I am a feast for the crows.
I am the walking dead.
I am eternal emptiness.
— EDM
Christopher looked at the poem then turned to me and shrugged one shoulder. “They seem very unhappy, lost even.”
“Good observation.”
I saw a hand go up in the back of the room. With a nod, the young lady with her hand up spoke, “I look at it as the person is putting a voice to the past. Like, they totally know what’s happening, and by putting it on paper, they can brush past it and move on to a better place in life.”
Another student said, “It’s relatable.”
It really was relatable; heartfelt emotions pulled at my heartstrings. From time to time, we all felt caged, locked down by the people or circumstances that surrounded us. Life was a juggling act; you either kept the pins in the air, or they plunked down on your head. The stinging pain was the best medicine in some cases—others it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That fine line between accepting your path and changing it.
“I think you are all correct. Life imitates art, you’ve heard me say that before. This could be a vow, an anthem, a promise to be more, to do greater things…or it could be a letter left for someone in the past.”
“Ms. McGee?” I saw a hand go up as she spoke.
“Yes, Sarah?”
“Is this like—could the writer be channeling their emotions into this simply to get free of them?”
“Yes, they could be doing any number of things. Words have a power all their own. Let’s do this; say I was in Paris, looking at the beauty around me. I could use powerful words to say the same thing someone in the middle of the rainforest could say.”
I thought for a moment then grinned as I continued, “This place is beautiful, peaceful, a world all its own.” I looked around the darkened room, their faces alight from the projector screen. I had their full attention, and I loved that they would take this in, maybe use it on their own.
“The power of your being, the emotions you draw from deep in your soul, it all comes out in the words you present to the world; that’s where you make yourself stand out. You could be the nicest person or the most vile—it’s all about the words.”
“Like me saying the pants my girlfriend’s wearing makes her as—butt look delicious, instead of saying they make her butt look fat?”
I heard a thump, and someone cursed softly.
“I’ll just let that be a lesson to you, Mr. Carson, not all words are taken the same way. I’d be careful of what power you give them.” It was hard to keep the smile off my face, but I did. With a few easy steps, I moved to turn on the lights. “That’s all for today. Please be ready for your project assignments tomorrow. Don’t be late, yes?”
Once the classroom was empty, I let out a long breath. It was already 4:30pm. By the time I got my things gathered, the classroom closed up and out of here, it would be a rush to get my errands done before places closed. I needed gas, groceries, and to pick up my dry cleaning. It would be like 7:00pm or so by the time I got home.
Good news, there was a bottle of wine in the fridge waiting on me. That’s how I’d end this long-as-sin week. Maybe after dinner, I’d have a long soak in a nice, hot bubble bath. Yeah, that sounded like a really nice way to close out a Friday night.
Chapter Two
Kara
