JOY
By Lauren Bishop

Joy

So fleeting like the fizz of bubbles.
Laughter pops and splatter with time.
Artificial smiles mask the hint of fire.
It licks my spine and tickles my brain.
Fuzziness gone and here again.
The secrets I can’t tell burn
my lips ‘til they’re chapped and sore.
Fizz. Pop. Splatter.
Promise not to tell.

The Valley
I never knew the mountains could change time.
The wind blows the minutes by.
Grass blades ticking to the clock’s rhythm
The sky is bluer and the clouds
Are fluffier at the peak.
Each rock and each ridge take me away.
Gray points turn to soft brown
Dirt, fighting to climb in between my toes
I step where the flowers must grow.
Rolling hills hold my heart and is my home,
the valley where I have flown.

The Garden
Dew on the green grass, life grows
Lily picks her fruit, rosy red cherries and prickly pears
Sunshine, water flows.

Her mind hops from primrose to primrose
Hiding secrets like squirrels with chestnuts, need to beware
Dew on the green grass, life grows.

Pollen travels and tickles the nose
Shadows overhead means the hunter is near in the air
Sunshine, water flows.

Soft soil sinks under warm toes
There’s no saving the secret squirrels and cuddly hares
Dew on the green grass, life grows.

Wings, feet, legs, and bone all decompose
She’s in her own world, it’s hard to tell that she even cares
Sunshine, water flows.

Beauty in the garden, but will it show?
With happiness comes despair
Dew on the green grass, life grows
Sunshine, water flows.

Love for Eternity
I don’t know if we should stay. This house is so dark, murky with shadows that nip at our fingertips. The feeling is slippery and reeks of gator feet. No freedom felt in escape. Tangled in seaweed, we’re pulled back under. The rooms get muddy but there’s a sliver of light bobbing in the distance.

About the Author:

Lauren Bishop, the Amazon bestselling author of Bleeding Heart, attended Michigan State University where she studied Apparel Textile & Design and Studio Art. The Detroit native is currently pursuing her degree in Creative Writing and English at Southern New Hampshire University. Art dominates her world with her interest in photography, movies, installations, paintings, poetry, novels and even makeup. When Lauren isn’t writing, she’s traveling or relaxing with her cat Nomi Malone.