Molly Puente

• Rowing Lake Woodlands
• Virginia
• The Note Never Sent

Rowing Lake Woodlands

There he stands
On the balcony of a castle,
Only his conscience beside him,
Whispering secrets in his ear.
Here I sit,
A speck in his vast moat.
My head flying in the clouds,
My heart sinking to murky depths.
Should I call out?
Risk my hiding place
among the reeds and the fish,
in the hopes of even a glance?
My questions remain unanswered.
The waves push me from the shadows
And pull me from his view.
Thank goodness for the currents
The reminders that here I am,
And there he stands,
with always a lake between us.

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Virginia

The curtain shivers in the breeze that never should have been there.
The sun beats on the window,
But the patch of light escaping the guarding drape is cold on the floor.
The pink and yellow flowers dance on the curtains,
feebly trying to brighten the room.
A false hope; they know that the years will beat and fade them
Until dull white rags are all that hang from the rods.
She lays there, not asleep, but alone,
Like the child old woman she's always been
And all she sees is her soul and the flowers.
Keeping the light out while trying to shine.

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The Note Never Sent

For the girl you knew a week
You would boyishly call ten times a day
The silence on her answering machine your personal gift.
You would cross her path trying for her eye.
You would douse yourself in cologne,
So that she and the world could sense you from across the room,
Just so she wouldn't leave you behind.
For the girl you knew a month,
You would chase her down; grab her arm;
Shake her and plead, beg for forgiveness,
Repent for sins never committed.
You would invoke the gods,
Among which she was the queen,
To have mercy on your mortal soul.
Just so she wouldn't leave you behind.
For the girl you knew a season,
You would wring your hands in anxiety,
You would offer your shoulder, your arms,
Anything to lessen her burdens.
While you swallowed the boulders she lay before you,
Up at all hours, a panicked soul,
Keeping your watch with unmatched tenacity
While she slept as a babe in another's arms.
Just so she wouldn't leave you behind.
For the girl you knew a lifetime,
You would offer the shirt off your back.
You would call her up for hours
Just to make sure she hadn't forgotten her lifelong friend,
Even though you had called the night before.
You would give your life for her,
If you thought she'd gain a moment's smile.
Just so she wouldn't leave you behind.
And I was there the whole time
Silent witness to your silly game.
Drunk on the scent of your cologne,
Waiting for you to return from your chase
Keeping my watch as diligently as yours,
Seeing minutes tick by as you chatted away
Just so you wouldn't leave me behind.
And patiently I sat, until one day,
You finally saw me long enough to wave,
and leave me behind.

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