The literary magazine of Hagerstown Community College
Jessica Seipler
When Worlds Collide
A soft, piano entrance
Of a decorated Andromeda
Betrothed to a monster
Whose only hope in life
Is death itself
And so it came
Swiftly as a sword
And so came the music
That poured from his soul…
A crescendo from minor to major
Vivace and mezzo forte
Until the sun imploded
In a supernova of fire
Illuminating the sky
In colors like never before
And so it was seen
Once and for all
That this savage serpent
Was in fact a beautiful beast.
Wesley Yeager
Nonetheless
Her eyes watch you, staring deeply into your soul.
But you don’t see her.
You survey yourself daily and primp while she laughs.
But you don’t hear her.
She is there nonetheless.
Through your eyes she can see your secrets.
But you don’t know it.
She probes your mind while you are unaware.
But you don’t feel it.
In the corner of your eye you can see her.
But you ignore it.
She appears in front of you every day.
But you forget it.
She changes things occasionally, just for you.
But you don’t notice.
She screams at you, tries to terrify you.
But you don’t listen.
You can feel her sometimes, after a scary movie.
But you push it aside.
You feel her eyes staring across the room.
But you just try to sleep.
In the middle of the night you wake, sweating.
But you don’t think of her.
She sends shivers down your spine, chilling you.
But you rationalize instead.
She stands in your mirror, watching your life.
But you ignore her.
Until one day, she has you convinced she’s fake.
You go about your day.
That is when the mirror changes, it doesn’t reflect.
But you are asleep still.
It opens and she walks through, over to your bed.
You stir slightly, anxious.
She lifts you into her arms, gently as a lover, out of bed.
You smile to yourself.
And she carries you across the threshold, the mirror black.
You feel damp, cold.
You wake and scream, pounding against the mirror in vain.
She has your life.
You see her living on the other side, living the life you once had.
You beg and plead.
But she is there nonetheless.
Rachael Marion
Dreams
I take a deep breath and dive right under
I swim through the sifting sands
A scorpion glides right up to me
And pinches me in the toe
I scoop him up in my hands
Feeling the ripples above me sway
I let him go; he slides away.
Swimming along these strange lands
I wonder what I am to do
My breath is short; I lose my place
Falling ever under
A figure helps me surface, but who?
Gasping for air, I search all about
Feeling the loss of the one I’m without.
I’m in a new dream
There’s water around me now
But I fly, not swim
I have wings so silver they gleam
Yet again I don’t know how
I sense him floating around me
I see who it is, oh how can that be?
My one, my love!
My heart burst with joy
But how? I thought he had passed
I don’t care how he’s alive
All that matters is that I love this boy
I drift into his arms
He promises to protect me from harms.
But then he’s gone
I am alone and I cry
Why must nothing go my way?
I just want him back
Through all my wants I sigh
I know all the problems my wants will make
So slowly, sadly, I wake.
Vikki Rowe
Mirror, Mirror
I stared into the blue eyes of my reflection, twisting and kneading my short black hair. Though the bathroom was vacant of anyone else, I knew he was here. I could feel him.
“Why won’t you leave me alone?”
I could feel him twisting and slithering like a large serpent in the space around me. I closed my eyes as I heard his crooning voice whisper at the nape of my neck.
“Because I’m afraid you’re lonely, Holly.”
“I-I’m not lonely. Mother says you aren’t real,” I rebutted; however, my voice offered no confidence in this as it trembled and creaked beneath my nerves.
“You can hear me talking, can’t you? What? Are you going deaf now?”
I could feel my head sink with defeat as he was right. I could hear him.
“No. I can hear you. But…but she can’t.”
“I’m not talking to her now, am I?” he purred.
I shivered at the thought of him behind me; a large predator encircling his prey.
“No…you’re not. You’re talking to me.”
My submission was evident in the arrogance of his words. He was winning.
“Precisely. I can’t leave you alone, Holly. I won’t leave you alone. Then you’ll fall to every lie she tells you. She doesn’t love you. You know that, right? Every little thing she tells you is shit. And you believe it.”
I love mother. He was not allowed to speak to her as such!
“No…no…not always. She sounds so-”
He spun me around and I could finally see the demon lurking from the shadows. He was a slender man with black hair that was always hidden beneath a towering top hat and icy blue eyes that relayed every ounce of fear I was attempting to conceal.
“Truthful? Holly, Holly, Holly… lies are always meant to sound truthful. That’s why they’re lies. If they didn’t sound truthful, why would you believe them? Why would you fall for it every time, like you do? It’s a shame really…if I weren’t here, think of how daft you would be? It must be nice to live in an ignorant bliss, Holly.”
As he spoke the smile never left his face, only seeming to widen at the thought of his words impacting into my skull.
“But…I’m happy,” I said, softly. I wasn’t happy. How could I be? Mother was lying to me.
“That’s because I’m here. She’ll take me away. Then you’ll be alone with her lies. You’ll be happy with her lies. Is that what you want? Holly? Is it?”
He placed his firm hands on my shoulders as he spoke and I felt safe. He could never hurt me. He loved me. He was telling me the truth.
We both hesitated, hearing the rustling from down the hall and her footsteps soft upon the carpet.
“Holand! Who are you talking to?” she called.
I looked up at him and in that second I didn’t want to be left alone with her. What if she kept lying to me? His smile softened and he stood aside, never releasing his grip on me. “No one mother! I’m talking to myself!”
Wesley Yeager
Death Sentence
The chair felt like any other, cold at first, and then the longer one sat on it the warmer it became. It had handgrips that sadly showed their years quite prominently; such a variety of men and women whose very fingers had clutched these arms. The scrapes and dings on the surface of the chair showed its personality. Each scratch held a treasured story as tenderly as a mother holding new life. Yet in its whole life, this chair had only seen the darkness of man.
Kierston Rinehart
Extinguished
Life is…
when the autumn leaves fall from the tree,
preparing for dormant winter months.
A unique silence fills the crisp air.
The impalpable breeze flows through his skin.
This may be the last time.
His wrinkled skin mimics the leaves on the ground,
dead, old, and decomposing.
His heart breaks, much like the foliage.
His loving soul is being crushed by the season,
destined for more, he knows.
Don’t let him be forgotten
for is he leaving this world. Without notice.
Extinguished.
Benjamin Fisher
Untitled: Depression never lifts a finger…
Depression never lifts a finger, but rage—
IT
Moves
MOUNTAINS
So says Lavinia; sliced tongue
fingers and thumbs drawing
clumsily
in
the
SAND
Praying for anger is not the same as angry prayers.
Stay focused on the places you’ll go past,
beyond,
without me.
The strong follows the weak now, wobbly steps
that will
become more sure, but the weak can
only follow for
so long.
Let the tide take the message away because
everyone hears, no one accepts—
but who will be remembered longer,
Achilles or Astynax?
Star Dodson
Soldier
Training intensely
Minding willfully
Trusting completely
Planning fearfully
Rising forcefully
Walking quietly
Sweating profusely
Watching cautiously
Beating rapidly
Praying sincerely
Aiming precisely
Standing steadfastly
Weighing instantly
Shooting orderly
Killing suddenly
Grieving instantly
War
Kafi Cunningham
I Dance the Dance of Life
Idance the dance of life like Indians dance their dance for rain
The life that I loved for 34 years left me despite my dance
I saw the life leave those doe brown eyes
I felt his cinnamon skin change from pain sensitive softness to rock hard rigor
Rainbows in my tears
Rainbows in raindrops clinging to windowpanes