Bridget Murphy

 Illustration by James Conant and Cindy Williams

The Un of Flatter

Dampens a joy
Destroys a thought
With hands as cold as ice
And a heart filled with fire
Where is the safety
The place of freedom?

Bells ring on for hours
In a land far from here
I can only sit and ponder
In a sespool which swirls around
Bubbling with froth
Ooozing from tired containment
How did I get in here
Did I respond to unflatter?

Maybe if I take count of the swirls
I can then be brave enough
To bubble in with the froth
Then I would ooze out of
This hovering brick

My froth would enter the soil
Making some dirt for food
Befriend the unflatter
Display the beauty
From the world down deep

Yes, the bells are ringing
Closer and closer
Dampening the joy I have become
To seek the truth in the un of flatter