#afterglow loop

[barnmousecries]

N Judah St.

by Lu Knight. Issue 10 (March 2023).

Hey friends, I’m Lu and I’m a creative writer. I use she/her and they/them pronouns and I am 25.

I’ve been writing stories and poems since I learned how to write and before that I would doodle tales of purple dogs. I always knew that I wanted to be a published author so I could share my stories with everyone, I’ve always dreamt of seeing my novel on a shelf among the greats! My strengths in writing are: world-building, flowery details, and character building. My weaknesses are: grammar, dialogue and a bit of plot building.

Thanks to Briefly Write publishing my first micro story, I am one step closer to reaching my dream!

A little bit more about me: I am a student at Appalachian State University studying creative writing, just existing in the mountains. I love to read, take naps, go hiking, thrifting, listening to murder podcasts. I’m also a big foodie but I don’t know how to cook, hopefully in the future I’ll get better at it. My favorite animals are koalas and bunnies. I have a dog named Maggie, I’ve had her since I was in 5th grade. I have a bunny named Jeffery, he’s a rascal.

My WIPS are: The Hidden Odyssey and Colors of Emotions. I also have some short stories in the works.

I hope that you like what I create and I hope we can be friends!

[barnmousecries]

Remember that first butterfly?

That night we went bowling, then to

Sonic, then to Cook Out for some reason.

You had released that little guy

From your jar of hearts, then

He fluttered into mine

It was the migration of

Monarchs, an extraction of

Honey. A swarm of bees and things

When we first met.

[barnmousecries]

I wish I knew how to write

Love letters, sonnets, words that would trace your

Lips over and over

Till you feel you can’t breathe

And are only craving to inhale me.

[barnmousecries]

Again, they come running to my call of distress

only to burrow in my skin and call me delicate

their stinger falling off upon entry

They want to peel off each layer to watch it grow back shiny and new.

They choke for me as I swallow their marbles but they won’t bleed for me

won’t breathe for me

and my humming bird heart won’t sway

nor listen to what you have to say

won’t cry as you break my bones

[barnmousecries]

Loop poetry from 2019

[barnmousecries]

didn’t you know you’d get what was coming to you?

oh come on, you had to have known. yet you still decided to act like everyone owed you something, so the world gave you it— not what you wanted but what you deserved.

i write this for you— but to say your name would give you too much power.

you’ll be buried and the world will spin on

you’ll be worm food and we will forget you, however our dna won’t. not till we break the cycle.

[barnmousecries]

I believe there’s more than one soulmate for everyone,

Ten fingers and ten toes

I believe I met one of my soulmates

I believe it from the way he likes my nose

However, it is not our time

We know that is just the way it goes,

Writing letters of love in the dark

Vowing to save our bond for another day

[barnmousecries]

In this dream, you are in a pit.

It surrounds you in pitch black.

Its mouth swallows you whole.

Effortlessly, you sat comfortably in your hole, like it had a hold on you

You sometimes climb, but then you fall like you had no care at all, then you try and try again but only get stuck with your feet buried in the sand.

You are in this constant battle with yourself

while a blindfold covers your eyes tightly

I wish you could see what you mean to me

There’s a snake in the pit that grasps on to you

day by day you decline my desires

my desire for you to reach out, my desire for you to hold on

the stench of dirt that covers you from head to toe and your brown eyes that fight to stay open

they blink and blink with the strength of a human

Please don’t let go.

don’t let go of the red balloon