Moonflower

by ALI SEIBAL | 2nd Place, student poetry contest

I bloom with the shy flowers of the dark
Finding solace in the silence of midnight
I unfold pieces of myself
In broken strips of moonlight

My petals unfurl with seeking hands
Touching the shadows in gentle caresses
They keep my bones from breaking
Cleaning up my salty messes

I am fragile in the dark
My shadows watch me wither
Waiting for the sun to rise

To watch me wilt and shiver

Waiting for the sun to rise
My shadows watch me wither
I am fragile in the dark

Cleaning up my salty messes
They keep my bones from breaking
Touching the shadows in gentle caresses
My petals unfurl with seeking hands

In strips of broken moonlight
I unfold pieces of myself
Finding solace in the silence of midnight
I bloom with the shy flowers of the dark

Ω

Kathy Bruce is a visual artist based in New York and Scotland. Her collages explore archetypal female and mythological forms within the context of poetry, literature, and the natural environment. She has exhibited in the US, UK, and internationally, including Senegal, Taiwan, France, Denmark, Peru and Canada. Her collages have appeared in Three Rooms Press, Vassar Review, The Perch Yale University, Variant Literature, Rejoiner, Brooklyn Review, Twyckenham Notes, Porter House Review, and U.S. National Women’s History Museum Journal.