i feel as though
my spirit has been trapped
in a sunset desert
where oasis is a mirage
wavering out of sight
blinking out of reach
this sahara sun
has left blisters on my soul
and this bitter wind
has swept away
any semblance of faith i had left
and though my eyes water with heat
blinking away sand
my spirit reminds me
that paradise is somewhere beyond this
somewhere beyond you and your sandstorm soul
somewhere past your burning words
somewhere above your tornado laughter
so i will pray prayers coated in honey-sweet hope
and i will tilt my head towards heavens until desert becomes ocean and restlessness becomes solace
i shall dance on sun-warmed sands until i stumble over the truths beneath me
and perhaps then
hopelessness will become endless dreamscape, and anger will become steady strength, and mirage will become oasis and i will understand that
this desert is not forever
Hannah is a student at Denver School of the Arts who loves Frank Sinatra, learning new languages, and mangoes. Her work has been published in Canvas Literary Journal and Calliope Literary and Arts Magazine. In her spare time, she plays the piano and daydreams about traveling.