last night the poem
wasn’t coming
and my daughter came out of her bedroom
because she couldn’t sleep
and she showed me her poem
about sitting on the green slide alone
at recess watching the cherry blossoms fall
like gentle snow and unrequited love
and wishing that people would understand her
and the beauty of the cascading white sky
— Scott Ferry
*
Every day
every day I walk out by the cherry blossoms
and sit on a bright green slide
just at the edge
I watch the petals fall from the
cherry trees
watch them fall
and snow down on me
like snow in the spring
with so many things running through
my head
the beauty of the light falling through
the trees
yet all I can think about is him
then her,
I can tell you like her because I
know the look of your eyes when
you like someone
of all people I should know that
the winds sweeping my hair
knowing you will never like me back
it hurts
but you will never understand
every day under the cherry blossoms
on my bright green slide
just at the edge of my seat
with petals falling down on me
like snow
I think of you
and that I’ll never have a chance
with my middle school love
— Leilani Ferry
*
Scott Ferry is a RN in the Seattle area. His most recent books of poetry are collaborations: Midnight Glossolalia with Lillian Nećakov and Lauren Scharhag and Fill Me With Birds with Daniel McGinn, both from Meat For Tea Press. His book of prose poems, Sapphires on the Graves will be available from Glass Lyre in early Summer. He continues to write feverishly as the voices in his head demand. He tries to be a decent husband and father and general human whilst screaming into the mirrored lake of oblivion at intervals. More of his work can be found @ ferrypoetry.com.
Leilani Ferry is 12 years old and is a natural artist and writer and lovely and passionate person.
*
From The Archives: Published on This Day
- Two Poems by David James (2023)
- Five Poems by Harrison Bae Wein (2022)
- Two Poems by Cheryl Snell (2021)
