Afraid of losing the past;
the things and people I love.
Afraid of losing the future;
the things that might be,
withering away like those figs
in Sylvia’s famous tree.
With each path I choose,
another fades out of focus
of “maybe.”
Rae Clinkenbeard // photography
Maybe someday I’ll follow
the stained glass dreams
in my head. Or maybe they’ll
shatter before I make up
my mind. Brightly colored
shards of glass rain down
to the wood floor beneath
my bare feet, leaving nothing
but a lead skeleton outline,
trapping me where I stand.
I look down and see
shades of blue as varied as
the ocean, the beach I’ve never
visited, Greek domes I’ve only
seen in pictures, the turquoise
waters of a tropical reef, faded
morning sky over a towering
mountain. A steely gray river,
sweeping me towards
the unknown.
Yellow stripes of sunshine
I’m afraid of missing if I
pluck the wrong fruit. Childhood
innocence, only cloudless
days and bright shining smiles.
Piercing rays so brilliant I can’t
tell if I’m even seeing clearly
at all.
Pink lips promising love and
acceptance, masking sneers
and laughter. Gold coins,
if only I kiss goodbye my
sense of self. Vibrant green
slivers of grass; serpents
I’m afraid of stepping on.
I so desperately want to
fit each wavy, misshapen
piece of glass back into
their iron branches. But
the glittering shards before
me only slice open my skin
when I pick them up.
Author:
Allison Linafelter is a recent Morningside alum and, now, a first-year law student at the University of Iowa. She would like to thank Dr. Coyne, her mom, and her cat.
Artist:
Rae Clinkenbeard is a junior pursuing a double major in Arts Administration and Photography along with a minor in Advertising. She enjoys photographing nature, and her goal one day is to have her own photography business.
Voice Actor:
Engels Perez is a student at Morningside College.