Caleb James K. | 2 Poems
Urban Petting Zoo
We don’t leave home much these days
too dangerous with the turtle shells
falling from the sky
leaving behind explosions of sun
that tan our skin to the bones
And we don’t much like the noise
from the great metal elephants
stomping through our yard
and crushing the garden
beneath their rubber feet
Nor do we care for the weather
hot and wicked air
with clouds so dense you can grab them
but you wouldn’t dare
because they make it hard to breathe
Hollow bees also cause problems
they sting the soul with venomous tips
and are so fast you can’t see them
though their buzz makes you aware
when they are passing by
Hawks fly overhead
searching for fresh prey
they strike without warning
even when they aren’t hungry
because to them it’s just a game
One day my daughter wanted to play
to go outside in the rain
I told her it wasn’t safe
and she should stay inside
to hide from all the beasts
She wouldn’t listen to me
would run outside to dance
wanted to celebrate the fat raindrops
to feel them hit her young skin
but I told her it wasn’t safe
We had stayed inside for a month
hiding in our cave
where no beasts could reach us
they wouldn’t even think to look
in a place so sad and empty
Yet my daughter wanted to dance
and play outside for one day
to feel alive for once
in her young, young life
and I understood and said okay
“Just a minute, no more,
and dance with joy,
like a flower soaking up the rain”
and she did
but the hawks were hungry that day
See Yourself
You say you’re not beautiful
a beautiful lie
You hate your crooked smile
a tease of symmetry’s myth
Your buttermilk skin sours your mood
a taste to savor
You obsess about your weight
a number with little meaning
You constantly change your hair color
a distraction from everything else
You detest the mirror but can’t stay away
a reflection of faults individually crafted
You wish you were different
a carbon copy of a secret
You want to look like pictures
a mirage that doesn’t exist
You cry at night
a model customer
You shop for extravagance
a subject of Victoria
You want to look elegant
a false sense of pride
You spend all your money
a perfect trick
You look into the mirror
a tear creeps down
You feel no better
a rueful existence
You look through rusted truths
a set of eyes to deceive
You need only see the world through
a view that’s not your own
You say you’re not beautiful
a beautiful lie
Caleb James K. hails from Washington, Pennsylvania where he lives with his amazing wife, fearless husky, and two cats. A former freelance writer, Caleb recently switched his focus to writing fiction and is currently working on his first novel. You can follow his writing journey at www.calebjamesk.com or on Instagram @calebjames1986.
[…] to extend a shoutout and huge congratulations to coalitionist Bryce Johle (CW2) and Caleb James K. (CW2) on the release of a new podcast project, Arcade Bookshop! Coming to you on August […]