WHAT THE GRIEF BLEW IN

by Shirley Xu, The Bishop's School '23 September 9, 2020

"How you wear it" by Angelina Ochoa, Canyon Crest Academy '22

↬ HOLLOW NAUTILUS (10-11PM) ​ With the wind comes the diluted dissonance, Denial, deep damages already done. ​ ↬ WEAPON OF CHOICE (6-7PM) ​ Fan-shaped leaves rippling Like ocean tides snailing along. Daggers of cascading fury Spearing the sunbaked dirt like Shooting stars. Bunting blows, bashing out Your breath, breaking borasca. Backfist punches driven into the gut. Roaring swaths of tightly twisting tops. ​ ↬ WITCHING HOUR (3-4AM) ​ Witches and spirits, ghostly ghouls And stars smeared by fresh blood In hopes of making a deal with the devil, a bargain and a sacrifice. ​ ↬ GASLAMP QUARTER (9-5AM) ​ Streaking past humming orbs of light Tucked into the bitter evening and the moon. Leaving the windows down. The cold under you stealing everything you have to offer. Sitting there, whipped by the wind, numbingly alone, happy. ↬ TRANSIT (7-8AM) Chimes, chilly cabins, concave cracks In the concrete, and crater-like caves. Updraft patches of whistling air In tiny hollow porous pockets. Breath, balmy brightness, breeze. Tufties of cotton candy.