Sally

16

"Under the Saffron Lights"

I wait
At the river’s edge,
Where dark shadows splay across the high grasses,
Whispers fade into the moonlight,
And stars burn bright with untold secrets.

It’s 3 AM
Again,
Yet still I wait for a sign:
A message in a bottle,
A shooting star -
Anything to guide me.
At least here I am free and
Safe.
But then dawn splits the sky wide open,
The trees angrily rustle their leaves,
And the sky crackles and spits rain at me.
So I should turn away from river’s edge
And leave the muddied waters behind.
But this is where I belong:
Among the midnight blues
And emerald grass.
In my mind, this place belongs to me,
Every petal, droplet and star.
In my mind, I can pick up summer with steady hands,
Twirl it around,
And dance under the saffron lights of the setting sun,
Holding it flush against my
Heart.
This time,
I won’t let it go.
This time,
I’ll stay here.