Page 5 - Horizon 16 Online

The Almost Barbeque
Out in nature on a weekend in July,
The hot summer sun up high in the sky.
The crackling wood burned in the fire pit.
The smoke was so thick I almost wanted to quit, Sitting there in front of the harsh yellow flame.
If I would have left, it would have sure been a shame.
The relaxed river next to the campsite flowed While there were children playing on the dirt road. My brother was sitting in the chair next to me.
We watched the smoke lead up to the tree.
He stood back up and took a short step
The root of a tree up out of the ground crept.
I grabbed his soft sweatshirt, trying to pull him back
Only it slipped through my fingers and then I heard a smack. His shin hit the rim and he started to fall
He yelled out in pain for it to be heard by all.
He tipped off to the side in the ashy dust.
Get up and away from the fire now he must.
He was breathing heavily and eyes were open wide,
If there weren’t so many people around he would have cried. He smelled like the fire he came so close to;
That would have been one heck of a view.
By some grace of God he managed to get away
Though have some burns and scars he may.
Alyson McAdams ‘16
Support
I don’t need to face you to know you,
To see the hurt dripping down your wine-stained cheeks In little glossy tracks.
Though impossible as it may be,
I dream of crushing the hurt and breaking it free From the entangled vines within your heart.
Determined now, I wrap you in my embrace,
Fingers melting into the grooves of your ribcage,
Trying to find whatever parasite is leaching the joy from your once blossoming form.
But your shoulders still shake,
And all I can do is love your fallen petals As I wait for new ones to grow.
Jessica Merolla ‘17
HORIZON
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