JH’s birthday party

With no school Monday
so much high drama surrounds
turning seventeen.

Baptism

Unexpected rain
soothing in a random way
anxious thoughts washed clear.

Refused

It’s the quiet ones
you have to watch out for when
they don’t get their way.

Threat

I worry for her.
Her safety – his obsession –
cannot coexist.

Can’t sleep 2

Switching to vampire
office hours. In bed past noon.
I write without light.

Buddy

Well-loved now. Rescued
he was matted with feces,
eyes begging for home.

Devolved

Dissolution is
the caterpillar’s abased
path to butterfly.

Withdrawal

She hates her friends at
the moment. They cling, their needs
crowding out her self.