sunscreen-covered cheeks mark late spring
when blisters blossom on palms and a waft
of overripe coconut dances with freshly cut grass
and morning dew mixes with smiles
that grow with each jubilant bell ring
all too soon giving in to the greedy sun swallowing
pigtails and acrylic rings with no regard
for SPF 50
and autumn comes when
the curtains open again
and taught lips carry a pre-recorded script
for it is impossible for someone
to whisper me my lines
in the never-ending riot
i’ve harboured in my chest
on Sunday mornings, roaring lawn mowers are
silenced by thick blankets that engulf the disquieting
voices whispering a million reasons to fear Monday
birthing an echo chamber
a furious cacophony
a monster
a monster dark like midnight
stealing the moon, robbing the stars
its tempestuous moods forging
a twisted mutualistic marriage
in a world where divorce papers
don’t exist
but I will save the moon
tear it from the black hole
and break character for once
because summer always comes
and the breeze will hold the scent of
apple blossoms blue skies
and sunscreen
Maya Meloche is currently completing a major in Film Studies with a minor in English. If they aren’t spending time with their cat, they’re probably watching a movie, or watching a movie with their cat. Maya’s passion for writing goes back to dictating stories for her mother to type on an old laptop in the late 2000s and writing fantastical stories concocted from the boredom of after-school programs in the suburbs. In 2019, Maya and their high school friends’ short film was screened at the DIGI 60 film festival in Ottawa. Maya aims to work as a screenwriter someday.
