Emily Winters                                                                                                                     

State of  ______

           Breathing deeply –

The dying fire and the ebbing tide,

The halo of smoke as the flames peter out,

Nothing left to tediously stoke.

The inhale –exhale of the stars,

The one big breath as the world waits –

In fear?

In suspense?

Excitement?

Night falls.

Hush of mothers and fathers,

Tucking of leaves up against the feet of the corpses,

The heavy, heavy signs that double as roofs,

The burden on the heart that desperately hopes for it not to rain,

To not be so cold for just one night.

The murmur of our collective voices as everyone begs for sun,

But forgets the beauty of the night,

Simply forgets to pet the gentle dew.

The group longing as the world waits for the return of the sun,

And the rustling of the makeshift blankets caught at the base of graves…