A Prayer for Uniformity
One white speck floating
air holding bright eyed
heartbeats missing love
in a place it’s not okay to breathe in.
If we count
up to one-one-thousand
Will the atmosphere heal itself?
Closed mouth sky
you hum hello in falsetto
and hide away
from my sight.
We say God’s name
to feel good about the landing.
A Return to Listen to the Azalea Whispers
The days have grown tireless again
At the height of autumn
Under an unforgiving sun
I watch the leaves miss something
Pure, sacred forest
Somber, kindred spirit
I find July hiding behind
thick azalea trees
bathing bare
in the pond alone
with a glimmer of afternoon turning
while the
hint of rose burns.
Her sweet suckle runs rampant
A wild love still surging
Wrought in air so full
Of time passing and regret –
Fall is the time of year
when all
the lights turn out at the party,
now only
fateful mornings weave our languid
evenings of fortune,
reprieve from the heat
While footsteps lead us
back towards night, we follow like
a moving sprinkler in
her garden, shining.
Make me one of your kind.
Nods and Smiles
i am one face amongst the masses
train passing of eternity we are failing
at being one
even under the encroaching heat
we face a cruelty
in becoming.
Letter to the Sun
I will build a telescope to reach you
To see our beautiful parts in technicolor
Like a child laughing in the sprinklers
or grass moaning at daybreak,
live oaks fawning
In the creek down the valley,
While yellow animals are sleeping,
and pink perennials are blooming.
I wish it were easier to watch you leave
Our lilac sky
as we burn desire
in a carousel designed by neon dreams.
Though I believe we still have time
I believe we can take care of one another,
Of ourselves, I believe in the power
Of us loitering around.
I am asking you to stay
Even though I know you must have larger
things to tend to, stay
And breach the air and open
your arms in the morning where
you hold me in the sweet suckle
of yesterday’s sweat, so I can finally feel
so close to the wanting.
Leah Marie Johnson is a poet and writer living in and about California. She wants you to be emotional, for obvious reasons. Most of her work can be found somewhere on the internet, and you can reach her on her socials, God willing
High Horse 