we are fragments, glinting golden
in the sunset, furnace sky burning
melting our wings
which drip down our red-burnt backs and necks
a tarring of flamboyant feathers and gray glue
our voices echo and dampen, smothered by the heavy humid air

every moment marks a new loss
every moment is a grave to rise from

black bird on the patio
omen of blazing spark and smoke
startling, takes flight

we are fragments, shining silver
in the nighttime, ice cream moon melting
bathing our skin in beams
which dribble down our upturned faces
a shedding of wistful tears for years spent in solitude
our thoughts slip silent out and vanish, stolen by a great grief

every moment cannot be grasped
every moment is a ghost to haunt us

white spider on the windshield
beldam of burnt wax and wicks
fleeting, scurries away

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Sarina Okrzesik is an emerging writer based in Chicagoland. Her poetry has been featured in JMWW and After Hours. Her work explores themes of nostalgia, liminality, chaos, and resilience.