Page 61 - HEF Pen & Ink 2020

DESERT WANDERER
by Carousel Sackman
The sea of dunes stretches out before your feet, Skin blistering under the heat of the sun,
Look back once more and take it in,
You will be free or die trying.
Every day hurts,
Burning like desert sand, Crimson trails after aching feet, As cold metal bites your wrists.
The storm roars like a furious beast,
Wind pulling and pushing in every direction, Aching feet carve a path through the stinging sand, You can almost hear the mother's voice.
It is a lonely path to travel, Across endless sands,
Death waits patiently,
All it takes is one wrong step.
CABIN
by Isabel Lane
Fall to bleeding knees,
Whispers of encouragement echo in a pounding skull, Shackles clank in the upward struggle,
A dry smile of hopeful faith.
But for all that hope,
All the faith carried close to heart,
It is a fear of what lies behind that moves blistered feet,
And the burning crack of a whip.
Mother whispers,
Asking for a little longer, Safety lies just a little farther, The promise of a home.
Freedom or death indeed.
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