Killingly

by: Alyssa Souza

There’s no time left to explain,
To sweet-tea, ice-cream, to snail-trails,
That leisure’s reign has ended: limp rabbit
buried with rigid rake prongs –
A little more noble now, in her rest,
Then sprinting breakneck from
The dogs’ loud threats.

There’s no more blisters, no more bare feet,
With which to interrupt nests and webs,
A gossamer only accidents can rend.
The sun and rain will come run
with chalk and blood, but the silk will persist
Through all but the cruelest of nature’s punishments.

There’s no more days to number summer.
September comes to spill her hazel penchants:
Acorn teeth, thumbs of maize, locks of moss,
And in their patterns announce
That all of autumn is luscious mildew and rust.
In their proper turn each animal succumbs
To God’s brutal recital, His tender design.

About the Author

Alyssa Souza is a wife and writer, mother and daughter, painter and sister. Alyssa was born in Georgia, spent her formative years in Hawaii, and now resides in New England with her growing family. Her work has appeared in Ekstasis Magazine, The Closed Eye Open, and As You Were.