Walt Whitman once said The President is there in 
the White House for you, but what would he say
if he were alive today? America, you are failing us.
Live up to your name, bring weight back to the heavy
paper we have idealized for so long. 
Red for the blood in the streets, the people leaving us
forever. White for the only race that has full respect
in all of this country. Blue for the people that promise
to protect us, pledging allegiance to a corrupt system.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s definitely political, but hopefully you can respect my opinion 🙂 As you can tell from the poem itself, I was inspired by Walt Whitman. I’ve been slowly reading Leaves of Grass the past week or so, and I couldn’t even contain myself when I read that line. Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Summer tingles on our tongues, waving
goodbye along with the tides. The pressure 
of the last sunset melts when the colors 
blend vibrantly one last time-- purple pink
yellow orange all into deep, deep blue and
black of night. 
Just like that, things will end. The days in
the pool over, the sun not shining as brightly
anymore. Nature seems to know the rhythm
of our world.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! Summer’s not over just yet for me, but there’s barely a taste left (about one week!), so this was fitting. Even though I’m writing this in advance, on the day this goes up it will be my birthday the next day, so there’s room for one more celebration. 🙂 Please feel free to share feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Sometimes when I feel pressed up against glass,
I have to remind myself if I was really trapped,
I could break it.
It makes me feel better to be in control, but I know
that sounds silly when none of us really do.
Large round eyes like a fish swimming around
in its bowl, another characteristic to make me feel
more and more like an exhibit in an aquarium, 
but not even important enough to be the shark
in the huge tank that everyone wants to look at.
Stuck as an object in this place, yet nobody stands
and admires... 
is it time to break the glass yet?

I hope you enjoyed this piece! Funny side note– when I looked up “fishbowl” on Unsplash to find a picture to accompany this piece, only one picture came up. I actually love the picture I chose, but I just found it funny that a fishbowl would be such an uncommon thing to photograph. Please feel free to leave comments and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

You whispered to me behind that canvas 
I keep on the shelf, and I knew it was time
to open up your pages again. Say hello,
walk into your world and act like it was my
own for a while. It's not me neglecting
reality, it's being nostalgic, or at least that's
what I tell myself. You won't comment, 
because you don't know any better 
and you're just happy for a breath, 
the removal of the thin layer of dust 
on your cover. When your story comes 
to an end, you'll ask me to read it again.
That's the reason why we buy books and keep
them on shelves, right?

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s based off a strong itch I had this week to reread The Selection series (only the first three books… there is something left to be desired about the last two and I’m much more attached to the story of the original trilogy). It’s nice to dive into an old book, and I find it can feel like much more of an escape than reading something new and having to get to know characters and decipher meanings. That being said, I’m also the kind of person who will rewatch a TV show over thirty times, so I guess it’s just a personal problem. 🙂 Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

I used to have sea legs, and not because I walked
on water, but because I didn't feel whole on land.

You taught me how to crawl, then walk, and now
we're hand-in-hand on the boardwalk watching 

the sky turn a thousand colors, a cocktail of warmth
and beauty before our eyes. I still can't do the five

o'clock in the morning jogs, but my legs are getting
stronger. I'll run with you, soon and forever.

I hope you enjoyed this short little piece! It sounds more dramatic than it is– I basically based it off of the fact I hate to run, and went from there. Trust me, I’ve tried to like it! It’s just not my exercise of choice. Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

An explosion of color, checkpoints that don't
quite match up, there's something for everyone
in here, but I'm only inviting you to step inside
and look around. You know how I feel about

making myself vulnerable-- it makes my stomach
drop and my mouth go dry. So for now, we'll 
walk through this maze together. There's the 
memories of moments together, glances

in hallways and conversations between meals.
We'll take a detour past the song lyrics and books
that remind me of you. Soon, there's nothing left
to take but detours. I don't want you to get stuck

in here forever, so I push you out--back into 
the real world-- silently. Only I remain, 
as always.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It was a fun one to write as clearly, I do spend a lot of time wandering around in my mind and trying to make my thoughts coherent so I can write about them. Please feel free to share feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Wave hello to the couple next door, and their
baby boy too. Greet the older man across the 

street, the younger woman always on a jog, 
the preteen boys skateboarding down the greenbelt.

Stop to pet each dog you pass, if their owners are
friendly and allow it, of course.

Be friendly, say hello, and you will no longer be
alone, walking in the neighborhood.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s a super short collection of thoughts I had surrounding my daily walks and the people I see everyday throughout my neighborhood. Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Summer heat will bring the smoke that rises
in fall, after we've forgotten what it's like
to run away from smokestacks above houses
and flames that lick our backyards.

The rain won't wash it away-- no water will 
come. Even if it pours, you can't put out this
flame. It lives on inside each of us, seen too
many times by youthful eyes.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I know it was super short, but I’ve honestly had so many short bursts of inspiration lately. My mind is all over the place, and I’m just trying to get every idea down on paper. If you know what California fire season is like, this piece is probably a clear reminder of late fall the past few years. Hopefully it’s not too bad this year on top of everything else…fingers crossed! Please feel free to leave feedback and writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

We're always pushing, pushing a wall back, trying 
to move mountains. My limp, noodle arms can't 

make it very far but we still try our best. Our 
specialty is pushing back
                                                time. 

Pushing past it, through it, passing by it and then
pulling back from the other end. 

Always onto the next thing, waiting to cross boxes
off on the calendar and wait until that "eventually"

when life is peaceful and we are free to do anything.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s pretty accurate to me, as I have trouble staying in the moment and often find myself longing for the endless possibilities the future contains. It’s a vicious cycle, and I’m working on it 🙂 Please feel free to leave feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke