By Persephone
**A poem inspired by all the teenagers I’ve taught.**
The sky is blue and clear,
Not a cloud in the sky.
Yet I cannot stop my irrational fears,
Nor stop asking the question, “Why?”
A cool breeze stirs a nearby field–
A pasture of strong ripening wheat,
But the sight cannot shield
The obstacles of which I cannot beat.
Crossing my path appears a butterfly,
Its wings majestic and red.
I look, but no matter how hard I try,
It does not distract me from my dread.
The noon-day sun warms my cool skin
And brightens up the world around me.
Yet beauty is lost to me, for I cannot win–
It is impossible for me to be happy.
Never before have I borne witness
To such comforts and colors so sheen.
My thoughts are dark, I must confess.
I’m just too much of a damn drama queen.