By Amber is a subdued flame,
her stature wavers
in the form of insecurity.
Deceit finds retreat
in her wide, weary eyes.
Her fleeting soul combusted,
at the hands of wretched fear.
Burnt out and coaxed by
expectation, she dances, the
moonlight her only companion.
Embers strung hastily, fueled by
nothing but regret. She is hungry,
longing for something.
Vulnerability engulfs her,
as it cradles her lovingly,
a single breath of relief:
A renewed vitality.
Sparks!
She laughs, she waits. Powdery
emptiness falls, meeting her charred,
black shoulders. The golden clock rises,
and at a tick, tick, tick, she
exhales in defeat.
By Catharine Li ’23
Featured Photo by Srilekha Cherukuvada ’21
