Crowded with heavy fluffy snow

Lights strewn across the crowded streets

Icy dry air fills my nostrils and my boots tap Tap Tap

The ice cracks beneath me after I sssslip

The heat from inside the store surrounds me

A knife of ice crumbles as it glides through the air and CRASH

Ice pebbles cover the concrete

I Shiver as the wind blows across the street and gently brushes my bare cheek

The mountains cast their shadow as they cover the sun completely

As I bring myself to my feet I start trotting home

All the commotion around me calms down and I focus on the icy street in front of me

 

Hanging flower lights

Pink tile for the floor 

I order from the lady

Neapolitan please

The counter looks like

A deli counter filled

With ice cream of all colors

Green, brown, white,

Cream, orange, pink

A sea of ice cream
Where rainbows hide
Toppings on the edge

Sprinkles, chocolate chips,

Nuts and maple syrup

She uses the ice cream scoop

Making cold deep cuts

Into the soft ice cream dish

My mother orders mint

Spoon and bowl and all

Mine comes in a waffle cone

With three scoops on top

We sit down at a table where

A pot of bluebells sit

I take a lick

A sweet sensation of ice

Cold and sweet on my 

Eager tongue

My mother’s in a swirl

My waffle cone is 

Almost finished

Making me want more

Of that ice cold 

Sweetness 

 

the bright sun warms me

the water glimmers, reflecting the sun

refreshing water sprays

smells like popcorn and pretzels

I hear a splash

and the smell of chlorine

slippery, slides squeaking

people having a great time
until they have to go home.
 

 

I can feel the hot sweat roll down my forehead.

Rough terrain beneath my feet, shrubs and trees dot the ground, scrambling, scrambling.
Dust swirls up around me, coating me visor.

Rotted wood all around me, cracks beneath my feet.

Lightning strikes in the distance, the clouds loom above.

Breathe.

Breathe.

My senses take everything in slowly.

Time has slowed.

Sounds drown out, only a muffled chatter

Fills my ears.

I take a deep breath, dry, painted air fills my nostrils

I focus 

On my opponent

He darts between trees and shacks

He scurries like a mouse beneath a cat

I am the cat

He is the mouse

I am the hunter, and for those who run, there is no hope.

I trap the mouse in my paw.

I raise my gun for the final kill

The mouse is trapped

The cat licks his lips

Dinner is served.

The sleek hardwood beneath toes' skin cells

The food filled fridge

The wonderful white walls surround me

The fresh tea
Sitting on the counter
The sunlight filling the room from the picture window

 

 

I can hear the sound

  Of the paddle

    Hitting the ball.

Pa plunk pa plunk pa plunk

That sound booms

Off the wall

Like an echo echo

At the table tennis arena

I can hear the sound of

Intense parents yelling

     At their kids

The mass of people

Crowded Like sardines

The modern look

Like a high tech gadget

I try to focus

On my opponent 

I take deep breaths

Breath

Breath 

Breath

The ref motions to me

Heart jumps a beat

Are you ready to play

He beckons

As my stomach feels 

Like I went down a

Gigantic roller coaster

My hips start to shake and wobble 

Like an earthquake

I’ve put so much effort

I really want to win.

The ball is rolled to me

I throw it in the air

It stays in the air for an eternity

Gasp

Gasp 

The ball comes screaming

Down

   

I heard nothing over the sound of the endless void

No help

S

   E

       E

          P

             E

                 D

 through my skin

Chilling me to the bone

The deep blue water capped with white

Salt clawed at my eyes

Everything hurt

I was so tired

I felt like I would never sleep again

I heared silence  e c h o i n g  in my mind

Loudbut quiet

Quiet but ANGRY

ANGRY and painful 

I won’t give up
  

           

Toes digging into sand as I sit down gingerly, not wanting to disturb the peace.

I listen.

Soft oceans waves gently licking the shore.

The silence.

All the birds and animals could feel the peace and were embracing it with open arms.

I lean back on my arms and I feel the salty air on my skin,
b
  r
    e
      a
         t
           h
              e
                  it, love it.

I could sit for hours,
watching the sunset
with its golden glow
 c a s t i n g over the ocean.

A gentle breeze blows my hair back and I let it
c
  a
     r
       r
         y
me away.

The smell of acrylics

The whisper of paintbrushes

As they dance across the canvas

Creating slashes and splashes

Colors

Shapes

Sizes

Falling, tripping, crashing.

Oh, the things that happen.

Once in awhile, you fall and can’t get back up again, 
so much pain and can’t move your foot. 

B

  E                                                                                                     

     E 

        P                  
 Then without understanding what’s happening,
 you have arrived to the hospital.             

I watch people laying against the soft sand beach

I see a massive lifeguard watchtower

I smell dead fish and sunscreen

I taste Dell’s lemonade and salt water

Neat and quiet.

Sounds would bounce back and forth between walls.

Trees rustle near my window as the sun splashes in. 

The pillows soft against my head 
It feels cool as each individual hair is placed on the fabric of the pillow.

Each box. Each book. Each object or item 
Are carefully placed on shelves and in the closet.

When lights turn on, the room is filled with rays of light
Everything has shadows.

It’s almost as if they’re playing with each other, tag you’re it! 
They tell me.

Knock! Knock! Read the sign I tell them

DO NOT DISTURB.
The sign says, they don't care
They never did.

Destroyed

All I ever had 

              B  O  O  M!

                  

                 S

                    H

                       O

                          T

to the ground

I am scared 

air is still moist

I imagine if this was a drought instead

I can’t 

I look around 

My mind stubborn

it won’t move

Roofs caved in

look for green grass 

I only see mini clusters peeking through

The destruction is everywhere

Parking lots, trees, houses, the local ice cream parlor

I look 

I see

Sharp metal, rotting wood

Everything around

Destroyed

Humid windy night sends shivers down my spine,

In the dark distance you hear cars,

Animals asleep,

Their minds astray.

Rocks shine under the porch light

Giant shadows creep behind you.

Watching

Waiting

You never realize in the light,

How places can change,

In the dead of the night

Far in the woods

Wicked witch’s legs poke out

No trespassing sign

But we enter anyways

Scared to see a bear

Hear foot steps 
Creeping up behind us 

Scared

Shouting GET OUT!!

Run away, 
As fast as marathon runners

D

  O

    W

       N

The hill

The rolling hills dot out the final sun,

Humid windy night sends shivers down my spine,

In the dark distance you hear cars,

Animals asleep,

Their minds astray.

Rocks shine under the porch light

Giant shadows creep behind you.

Watching

Waiting

You never realize in the light,

How places can change,

In the dead of the night

 

Nice and warm air and water near

Old brick buildings that look ancient

Ready to tube and drive my four wheeler

Peaceful day on the lake

Not a sound is near except the waves

What a beautiful, White hall day

I see the boats on the great lake

Kids tubing, skiing, and enjoying the day

Michigan adventures is very near

I see a seagull in the air S 

                                           W

                                                O

                                                   O

                                                        P

                                                            I

                                                               N

                                                                   G

Down catching prey

 What a beautiful Whitehall day- Danny Barnes

In a little warm restaurant up in north Michigan

 Not too crowded when everyone is relaxed and

 Comfortable; I have found my happy place, and you will, too.

                        While out on the lake, or even while glancing out on it

                         I get a swift shiver down my spine, like a snake slithering 

                         Down the back of my shirt.

                         The wavy water forced by the wind looks depressing on a

                         Dark and cloudy late afternoon 

                         Very cold and very dark.

Dark,

Cold,

Wet,

The perfect breeding ground for mold and roaches,

A dream mansion for mice,

A room only visited for service,

But a prison for me,

A cellmate with dirt, filf, and pests,

And here I am, given little food and water,

Living by the skin of what teeth I have left,

Hear until my toothless death.

 

Ice cracking beneath your feet

Sky as blue as the water

The freezing breeze tickling the back of your neck

Fluffy snow like a cloud softly crunching under you

Water as clear as glass calling you

D

O

W

N

Into the dark freezing space

THROUGH

The Ice

                     ROUN

Water spewing up A you D

My heart  S L O W I N G

My eyesight going BLACK

Falling

Into nothing 
The         ice
    UNDER

having nothing to eat

Help!

Children who are lost

Or whose parents have died

Help!

Trash everywhere

Hasn’t been picked up

smells how it looks

Help

People with homes

made out of scraps

Help!

People getting sick

eating old food

drinking dirty water

Help!

Near the forest

Crows calling out from the cover of trees.

Waves pulling against the pebbles on shore,

Wind rushing through pine’s timeworn branches.

This was the perfect home;

And it was mine.

~

Cold,

Wet,

The perfect breeding ground for mold and roaches,

A dream mansion for mice,

A room only visited for service,

But a prison for me,

A cellmate with dirt, filf, and pests,

And here I am, given little food and water,

Living by the skin of what teeth I have left,

Hear until my toothless death.

When the world is alive,

And the ducks nest on the half-frozen lake

When the stars spark

And the moon dances through the star-spattered sky

The trees grow, and the flowers bloom

For in Spring

The tiniest of crocuses is as important as the tallest oak

In our town, so far away from everything

In Spring

In Summer, 

The sun beats down on green, green, grass.

The smoke from cookouts mixes with the scent of 

Fresh-mowed lawns

Our days are spent

At the pool, our backyards, wherever we can go.

For it is Summer.

It feels endless, yet it ends, for after all,

It is Summer 

In Autumn,

We are brought back to reality.

We start school, and soon life is back into its ordinary rhythms.

The geese migrate, the trees change color.

The trees are like fireworks, frozen in time,

As chilly winds that smell of of pumpkin, cinnamon, apple

Blow around and around.

What with Halloween and Thanksgiving,

We are whipped into a frenzy

By the promise of snow and holidays,

But,

For now it’s Fall.

In Winter,

The world is cold and sleepy

Hot drinks and sledding are all the rage

Walking in this snowy wonderland,

This realm of everlasting cold

The bright colors of the fireplace

Contrast with the blues and whites outside

Soon, the world will wake back up again 

But for now,

It’s Winter. 

 s m a l l  town

Kept secret from the world, 

Mountains surrounding

Looming like a shadow

 F

    O

        L

            L

               O

                    W

                          I

                             N

                                  G

Tailing

Dew from the fresh morning like tears on the ground

Stillness, silence, everything withholding.

 Movement

The morning, the birds song

step

SNAP

Twigs BREAK the world comes alive 

I begin a day that I know will last for eternity

Waiting

Walking

Quiet

Yet unrestful 

Their roots running deep into the ground

Dew that rest on the tip of grass until it

Drops

The fire wood is damp but not enough

Then the scattering of the squirrels of to hide their nuts

 The forest is so peaceful

Faded

Victorian houses lend themselves

To the

Imagination

Live this moment once

Rain creeps

Over

A street that held

Life now 

Abandoned

No one stops to

Linger here

Wonder

What has been and

What will

Become

But life will always

Be there

One

Small noise from the

Maple shade

Changes

Brave to risk everything

A miracle

Flutters

It is still free

One life

Alive

Fears take flight from

The small

Mind

Soaring above the nightmares

Becoming memories

Dreams on wings.