Rose Drew

Reading Room

The dust resettles, though
still blowing off
the cooling body of my foe.
The arena waits.
I hear lions roar,
the crowd murmuring my fate.
I wait.

Faster, faster,
stars streak by,
as I, pilot,
newest member of Star Force
ease levers,
glance above at star charts,
bank silent left,
and head to the green planet: Home.

Weeping, I clutch my slain husband to me,
willing life into him,
daring my heart to leave me,
enter his gaping chest, pumping life
back in.
I cannot live without him.
I can’t.

The lights blink once, twice,
and announcement warns,
“The library is closing in ten minutes…”.
I gather my choices, and prepare to leave
this place of dreams and nightmares, where I learn
and forget, weep and laugh,
rampage, kill, save;
die; live.

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