I don’t want to be a rosebud anymore,
Nothing but the softest, sweetest lips-
I want to be a feather- a wisp of a thing,
Yes, you can crush it but you cannot
Keep it in your pocket to crush again later.
I do not have enough of an existence
For you to own me. One breeze and I’d be free.
I’ve always wondered what that might feel like,
Because sometimes I am nothing but a fire-
I want to fill myself on something more
Than the embers of who I may be someday
And the ashes of who I am now, or nothing at all.
I need you to stop asking me why I’m still here
When I clearly belong in heaven- I need you
To understand these scarlet slippers were
Soft baby pink petals before I started dancing.
I am not the forgiving type. You need to stop
Telling me we’ll be alright: you may be
A line as fine as this string wrapped around my wrist
But you know damn well know I lost sight
Of my horizon long ago. All I want,
As you must know by now, is to be a feather.
Near invisible, barely trying to breathe.
Nothing but the softest, sweetest lips-
I want to be a feather- a wisp of a thing,
Yes, you can crush it but you cannot
Keep it in your pocket to crush again later.
I do not have enough of an existence
For you to own me. One breeze and I’d be free.
I’ve always wondered what that might feel like,
Because sometimes I am nothing but a fire-
I want to fill myself on something more
Than the embers of who I may be someday
And the ashes of who I am now, or nothing at all.
I need you to stop asking me why I’m still here
When I clearly belong in heaven- I need you
To understand these scarlet slippers were
Soft baby pink petals before I started dancing.
I am not the forgiving type. You need to stop
Telling me we’ll be alright: you may be
A line as fine as this string wrapped around my wrist
But you know damn well know I lost sight
Of my horizon long ago. All I want,
As you must know by now, is to be a feather.
Near invisible, barely trying to breathe.
Brianna R Duffin (she/her) studies English at Rosemont College and hopes to earn an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Publishing. She is passionate about mental health and advocating for the LGBT+ community. She has been featured in several literary magazines and publishes her work on Medium @briannarduffin.