sjsprWriting

There was chatter all around the room. 

Soft voices.

Loud sips of wine.

Boisterous laughs.

Orchestral music. 

I watched the crowd, bored out of my wits. The guests had been doing the same thing for about two hours. Maybe more. 

Same dances, conversations, drinks. Many had come over to me to ask if I was alright. I'd shrug and hand them my drink. They'd give thanks, and the party went on. No more notice of me. 

"Excuse me," a shrill...

Il est parti

Il est parti avant que

Je puisse dire au revoir

Il m’a levée dépourvu

Je ne m'attendais pas

One foot in front of the other

Unknown to him what his ultimate destination will be.

Step by step, one foot carefully placed in front of the other, then repeated.

Listening closely to his surroundings,

The sounds of shoes against the hard marble floor and the clash of dishes falling

He stops dead in his tracks to receive the sound.

Piercing his ears, he makes a quick motion to pot...

One of those nights again, where you try and you try and nothing comes out the way you want, the words don’t listen. You’re left empty, angry, gripping a pen a tad too tight.

It’s late and you’re tired and it’s your fault, so it’s okay you’ll deal. You’ll deal with the burn of failure and the sting of disappointment because that is what you do and the only thing to be done. With a bitter taste on your tongue, you resort to what...

Placemats

O'er D'oeuvres. Or whatever.

Long meals. Small meals.

Judging looks with every lift of the fork.

Water, in wine glasses.

Small talk. Small minds.

Closed minds....

We're at an airport, but at the same time, I am not. 

It's as if I'm only a spectator behind glass, because I see them; all waiting in line at the security point. They chat animatedly to each other, but I only know this because I see their lips moving rapidly, rapidly, but I hear no noise. 

And there you are. You're leaving but not gone just quite yet, and you're talking to someone next to you, whom you have your arm wrapped around, and I r...

Sitting in a rocking chair,

I stare at all the flowers and bugs

Green trees, blue sky, and a swimming pool

It is an ordinary backyard yet it feels extraordinary

Forgetting all the stress and enjoying something cool

The sun has changed its color and has come to the horizon...

There are times when I sit, think, and all that comes to mind is your face. You're not smiling. You're just looking at something. There's a longing in your eyes. Sometimes you squint them, trying to discern whatever you're looking at. For some reason, you bite your lip pensively. Slowly, you stop biting them and a vibrant, red color comes up. You scratch your head. Then, I focus on your fingers - how lightly they move was you pass them through your hair. Now your face has turned. Your ...

UNSAFE

By Laura Camila Rivera

I stared at the back of your head again

I wasn’t the only one

I guess they all feel this way

But I’m not one to be outdone