SAFER DISASTERS

Nerves throb over airy breaths,

each one scarier as time passes -

she should be choosing markers

and drawing on skies as we land on the

clouds,

head first into safer disasters.

I read a book once -

all I remember of Heidi is a mountain

and a goat,

all I remember of yesterday is memory -

I remember,

I used to remember.

What I used to remember, I forget.

I see a girl with bushes for hair

and flies circling overhead,

she runs from them screaming -

safer disasters.

The world is wide,

she wants to travel running.

The world is small,

she has friends in every town.

The world is kind,

free hugs are given sometimes.

The world is scary -

but a safer disaster.

I should be using my red marker,

I should be losing my red marker,

diving headfirst into cotton candy

and questionable street food.

Hold your breath and gulp it down -

safe disaster.

I should be writing without feeling

unsafe and

disastrous.

I should be writing and remembering

not counting and

breathing in

an unsafe disaster.

All I remember of

all I remember -

there was a goat and some flies,

clouds eaten and

sorry, what was I saying?

---

Written by Saumya Sawleshwarkar