bumblebea

You have plastered my eyelids open 

Non contact tonometry

Force fed with gavage until I no longer awake 

at the smell of burning grease.

Burrowed into retinas like a small flaming needle,

It's 12:34 AM on July 5th, 2025 and I still see fireworks going off in the sky.

I hear the booms, the bangs, the commotion of endless fireworks

going on for hours

still raging

on a brand new day.

blow out your candles. 

make a wish.

hold up a protest sign.

tonight the fireworks spell R E S I S T.

your hair's in pigtails braided red blue and white.

they're scared. 

that's it. 

they: shout misspelled arguments in all caps send soldiers to peaceful 

protests yell into microphones turned all the way up shut down dissent 

When you are old and too tired to sleep,

Steeping like your lemon tea

In ancient memories and dreams,

I wonder if you’ll think of me.

When your forehead’s deeply lined

With remnants of the tears you cried

I look at the empty kiddie pool in my backyard

In the Midwest summer

My friends used to come to my house

So they could all get in it,

But they don’t like to swim much anymore