I broke three times

mended by chemicals and

words in my own book

the third time

held to a standard

my own life almost took

the second time

a splinter in one

that felt like a shard

the first time

I truly believed

that living was hard

I broke three times

each time a new life

grew out the old corpse

don't break me a forth

They step into your life and they stay there.

Put down roots, uproot you.

They give a little, ask for more.

Self-less deserves selfish.

They know how you love, boldly enough for both of them.

You are three steps ahead, but they take a step back.

They relinquish the feeling, what they thought they wanted is not what they need.

Your love is a whirlwind, their favorite storm.

They untangle themselves, it’s too much. Only to beg to jump back in.

You are solice and comfort and rest.

They leave you fucking restless.

There's something in your smile that makes it all alright, 

There's a comfort in your laugh that helps me sleep at night,

Something in your voice that gets me through the day. 

A light in your eye that keeps the darkness at bay. 

You are, most certainly, the sunshine in my sky,

And I can't explain my love for you, so I'm not even going to try.

You are simply someone that I cannot live without,

You are what makes me happy; it's you without a doubt. 

Submitted April 7th, 2017

Kiss the galaxies of his yet unborn universe slumbering in his soul and blaze them awake.

Hold his eyes, weave your fingers in his till you both are so tangled together there’s no way to know what it feels like to be alone or lonely anymore.

Love him and make the world yours.

Atom to atom, bond together with no spaces in between.

Then, set the world on flames and build your fortress from golden ashes born from the death of stars.

Rise as phoenixes from depths of hell, spread your scarlet wings across the expanse of sky blue above.

Grip the world with your hand and kiss him

With life, with everything.

Taste sweet victory sharp, vivid on your toungue

and then, go beyond.

"Just leave me alone." Lips on the back of my neck. Words echoing ringing in my ears. "Just shout up and leave me alone. How many times must I say this to you?" Childish behavior you need a time-out. A grown ass men with no scruples hurting the one you say that you love. Feeling my pain just brings you pleasure.

This is a man’s world BS got you thinking, "I'm the men and I can do what ever I want to do." Thinking you have no one to anwser to but self. Karma has a way of getting you back. Don't think for a second your life is grand just because you're a men. All of me went into helping you achieve your goals and now I have none. How convenient for you to keep put me down. You keep forgeting that am strong and still wearing my crown. Dealing with you and all of your shit. "Just leave me alone. Quit! and let me be before I regret doing something "You piece of shit." I have put up with your games and your lies now its time for me to scream out loud. "GET OUT OF MY FACE AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" You are a disgrace.

Daniel picked up his daughter from elementary school that afternoon just as he did every afternoon. Not too long after every cellphone in the region as well as the next over broke into a startlingly screeching sound. An Amber alert had been issued for the young girl, Nadine. Nearly every cellphone received a warning. The news broke out across many of the local news stations who posted photos of the girl as well as the wanted father. Daniel Farshan had last been seen driving southbound on highway 747 in a black Ford Explorer. The police issued a warning not to approach the man as he was to be considered armed and dangerous, and to immediately call the police if he was spotted.

In the previous spring months there had been a series of kidnappings and abductions, therefore many people in the city were on high alert. So much so in fact it was reported 1 month earlier a man had been savagely beaten after his identity was mistaken due to a semblance he shared with a wanted man for heinous crimes. A local news outlet interviewed Nadine’s mother in her home. “I just want my daughter to come home” she cried to the camera. “I hope you're safe. Mommy loves you. Daniel, please don’t hurt her” she managed to get out before erupting into a complete breakdown. Three hours had passed and the worry of each person in the cosmopolitan who cared intensified into anxious tension.

“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Daniel asked looking in the rear-view mirror back at his daughter. Nadine nodded as she continued to play on the iPad. Daniel glanced at the car clock display. He turned the corner and pulled into the drive thru and patiently waited in line. Half in vague contemplation and half paying attention to proceeding forward, Daniel caught the eyes of a man in the parking lot starring back at him. Daniel awkwardly fabricated a smile. The car in front of him proceeded forward so Daniel accelerated ahead. The invasive man was still starring at him. The man pointed at Daniel and mouthed some indecipherable words to two other men in the parking lot. They glanced over with a scowl. The taller man in a white t shirt ran up to the car. The two other men followed closely behind.

Realizing their impetuous rapidity, Daniel quickly locked the car doors. The man in the white shirt kicked the passenger side. “What are you doing” Daniel yelled. The older man who initiated the entire sequence kicked the headlight. “It’s him!” the third man yelled to a group of young college students passing by. The group of young people began to approach the car. Nadine screamed and broke into tears. “Open the door!” the man in the white t-shirt yelled. Daniel honked his horn, however the lineup of cars prevented him from driving forward. Just then one of the college students smashed through the passenger window with a led pipe. Nadine screamed. Her eyes shone with petrifaction her father had never dreamed to see in his daughters' eyes. “You idiots” Daniel screamed. He caught himself and took a breath just as he was beginning to ignite into a detractable rage. “It’s okay sweetheart” he said to his Nadine. Daniel put the vehicle in reverse and floored the gas. In desperation he erratically hit the break thus flinging the car in the opposite direction. Daniel sped out of the parking lot leaving the hoard of ferocious people in a foul cloud of smoke.

Daniel sped down the road. “I’m so sorry hunny. I’m going to call the police and everything will be okay in a minute. Those people were utterly insane." He drove for some time more before he decided that they were a safe distance away from where the people had attacked him and also that no one was following him. He pulled into a plaza, got out of the car, and took his daughter out of the backseat to console her. Nadine embraced in her father's security. He rocked her in his arms and rubbed her hair. “It’s all okay. It’s all okay baby.” He comforted Nadine until she had completely calmed down. He was even able to emit laughter from the young girl. “Okay, now daddy’s going to call the police” Daniel said in a calm manner. He reached into the vehicle to grab his cellphone. Upon re-emerging the sound of a hefty man quickly approaching drew his immediate attention. The hefty man's wife pointed at Daniel and broke into a frenzy. “There he is! He’s got the little girl” she cried. Daniel looked at Nadine. Nadine starred back at her father. The hefty man shoved Daniel to the ground. Out of instinct and sheer shock Daniel quickly leap to his feet, scooped up his daughter in his arms and took off running the opposite direction of his surprise adversary. The man chased behind Daniel. The man's wife followed behind him. She alerted nearly everyone in the plaza with her hysterics. Numerous people flooded out of the stores and began to pursue the culprit with the abducted little girl. Daniel climbed over a chain link fence that led into a field. Nearly 30 people gained traction towards the wanted man from the news.

By nothing more than sheer caprice a police officer driving by noticed the commotion. The officer blared his sirens and turned into the alley. He called for backup over the radio and then himself hopped the fence. “Stop where you are!” the police officer yelled. Daniel noticed the officers stern command, however the sight of the furious crowd chasing him suggested otherwise. Surely, he would have been torn to shreds by those psychotic animals. The officer drew his weapon. On the brink of exhaustion from running for so long and a depletion of adrenaline, Daniel become too weak to even consider hopping the fence, forced instead to run around the field with the chain link fence securing every direction.

Daniel put his daughter down. “I don’t know what’s happening” he said “but take my cellphone and run hunny. Run!” he directed her with the last of his energy. Nadine climbed the fence and began to run across the blacktop. “Stop where you are” the officer yelled. Five more police cruisers arrived in the distance. Daniel saw the officers coming nearer. “What is this all about” he yelled. Although tired, his body would not give up running. The size of the crowd was too immense to give in. As Daniel stepped forward, a bullet whizzed by his head. He gasped. At that moment another bullet sped through the air, this time penetrating his flesh. Daniel cried out and fell to the grass. The crowed arrived at the fallen man. The hefty man was just about to stomp on the culprit when the officer pulled him away.

The crowed scrutinized every aspect of the man before them as he stumbled in handcuffs in front of the officer and into the back of the police car. Due to the number of people filming, it took only a matter of minutes before the recorded clips from the spectators made its way onto the news. “What have I done” Daniel pleaded. The officer ignored Daniel and began to read him his rights. Daniel took it upon himself to make the intelligent decision and not say anything out of fear it might be taken out of context and later used against him. However, one thought pressed his mind. “Where’s my daughter? Is she alright? Is she safe?” he said after a moment of reflection. “She’s fine. She’s with her mother” the cop snapped back. Daniel nodded his head and took a deep breath in an attempt to relax.

The officer removed him from the back of the cruiser and dragged him into the hospital. It was only after Daniel was handcuffed to the hospital bed did the sheer shock that he had just nearly been killed set in. He struggled for breath. Footage of him being escorted into the police car played on the hospital tv. His face flushed all over. Daniel glanced at the white bandage covering the bullet hole in his flesh. The bullet only grazed him but nonetheless left him frantic. He fell into a deep meditation.

Next to nearly having his life taken, the public embarrassment proved to weigh heavier on his spirit. After the doctors handled the accused man the police immediately entered for questioning. Daniel explained his story. It matched what his daughter Nadine had said. The police grew suspicious of the context surrounding the entire scenario. The arresting officer, Sergeant Holt, revisited Nadine’s mother for closer questioning. Sergeant Holt confirmed his suspicions the next day upon talking to the mother. Immediately he called for the Daniels release.

Perhaps the mother wanted her ex-husband dead, or perhaps she simply just wanted to see how setting up such a scenario would play out for him. The police arrested her. All the while she wore an indelible grin at having caused such harm to her ex-husband in what she called “an intellectual fashion.” Daniel couldn’t believe the women would do such a thing to him, and above all else to their daughter. Nadine wasn’t missing and hadn’t been abducted. Daniel had been completely oblivious to what he was made out to be until he watched the news the evening in the hospital. Due to such a vindictive monster he nearly lost his life. The event would forever leave Daniel shaken. The next evening the news outlets covered the story of the falsely accused man which did little to restore his reputation. However, beyond everything else, the joy and love for his daughter was infinitely strengthened. The close encounter with what could have been the end of his days shone with a new ebullient sun the days he was to cherish ahead. Nadine hugged her father and looked up into his eyes “I love you dad” she said. He smiled and looked into her eyes, “I love you too dear” he said with a smile. The pair embraced and watched the golden sun set over the neighborhood rooftops until finally the warm summer evening arrived and their eyes grew heavy with happy fatigue.

By Dakota Alexander

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