I remember chasing the waves
on the West Palm sand
at Christmas time,
a quick chance to escape reality.
All I wish is that this week in paradise,
away from the shiny plastic ropes
my hometown ties around me,
is close to a sliver of perfection.
I hope it's like what I picture
in my dreams.
Maybe then I won't have to lie
when I say I have something perfect
in my life.
Maybe I won't have to pretend here,
in this strip of sand
with sun-tanned girls
who kiss like Twizzlers
resting between teeth.
But those teeth are daggers,
gleaming and reaching towards skin
already riddled with scars.
I hear sirens in the distance,
but I don't know who they are warning.
Should I run from this picture-perfect man
dressed in midnight blue,
or should he high-tail it towards home
because of an actress fit
to break a million hearts?
YOU ARE READING
Rays in the Dark
Short StoryA collection of stories and poems depicting people's lives as they struggle with love, mental illnesses, and the everyday battles that life throws their way.
