Emilie

16

i stitch together the endless days with thread spun from my clouds of memories
STITCH
the songbook falls into place, and i begin to plunk out a childish memory on the faux ivory keys
STITCH
the water squelches under my goggles, the chlorine biting my eyes even as it dries out my skin, but i still climb the skyscraping diving board, trying hard to look undaunted
STITCH
the shadows race across the sky as i race through the bone colored pages of my treasured books, my eyes weighed down with ink
STITCH
the sweat runs salty down my nose on the burned gold days, and the heat seeps through every crack, ignoring the fans' twirling gates
STITCH
the rising sun is a bright bird perched on the windowsill, its song coloring the flavors of my early morning dreams
STITCH
the rocks beneath my tire treads shriek crunch, crunch, crunch as i tirelessly bike home near dusk
STITCH
the rain jumps gleefully through the cloudy days, giving this desert the only water that comes all year while i flit through puddles and pine needles
STITCH
the long black carpet of asphalt unfolds before me, heedless of my hurry, its white and yellow lines blurring together on the endless journey to yet another family reunion
STITCH
if a stitch in time saves nine, then i’ll never be able to count the stitches i’ve saved