Friday, January 27, 2017

Entrapment of a Flame

Entrapment of a Flame

Night Three
Of my captivity.
From the chambers of the glass
My light bleeds out,
Pleading with the earth:
The dank, damp sponge
On which she treads
With hesitant repose.
She parts the reeds.
Twitching and dry
They extend the expanses of
Their brittle limbs,
Seeking to free me.
But the reeds
Tease the aloof surface
Of the glass. As I dance within
She inhales
The quiet frenzy of a forest.
I feel---weak.
She exhales
And I glance about,
This flirt with freedom
replenishing my will.
In a glade,
She falls upon
The earth. Grasses
Prick her chocolate skin
Scarred and smooth.
Staring blatantly
At night’s velvet mask
Eyes glazed with inky tears
Reluctant to drop,
Battling gravity
Then wet acceptance,
Tears turning iridescent
As they meld with Earth.
A lost child giving back to her mother
All that was given
To her.
As for me,
I yearn to break free!
To ignite!
I can nearly feel
This cage melting away,
The girl, this wood on fire:
A symphony of flames and sparks
Smoke overwhelming the senses!
I swear I’d mock the heavens.
Yet here she rests.
Complacent.
Distilled passions lurk
In the frigid pipes of her veins.
What entrapment has she known?

-Mariana Kornreich

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Fighting stereotypes

I've broken numerous stereotypes of people with a disability.
I've overcome many hurdles in my life.
I've proved others wrong about people confined to a wheelchair.
I am far from another statistic or stereotype of disabled people.
I've accomplished many goals.
I've been on a long journey.
I've come a great distance,
But I still have lengthy journey ahead of me.
I've opened a multitude of doors;
although I know there are multiple paths I can take,
and multiple doors I can open,
stereotypes will always follow.
One day, I will prove more stereotypes wrong,
And I will open the door that leads me to the perfect road.
I will leave those stereotypes in dust.

-Tori Rittelmeyer