~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © MH 3/8/99 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one brought me out
It was just the truth,
So I said it.
My voice was like a scream in the ears of millions
My simple statement
was a joyous one,
And it boomed outward.
How I raged 
when I was denied
And I begged,
“Don’t fear me.”
To each one I whispered
“I won’t hurt you.”
And most still turned away
Twisting me far more
 than I was to begin with
Laugh at the hate and it will melt.
but I was dying too much to laugh
crawling on the floor
across the school hallway
And always my weakest voice was more than a roar

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Schizophrenic Roses and Paranoia      ~~~~~~~~~~
   
                        © Marie Hedrick 3/8/99

    Alice bent to smell the roses on the table.  She had carried them 
home through the city streets, her arms cradling their cellophane 
wrapped stems. With a shudder Alice remembered trying not to move at 
all, to keep the people around her from noticing her, or the flowers 
in her hands, when the littlest movement made the cellophane crackle.

    The instant Alice was inside she ripped off the stifling 
cellophane and her own coverings, almost before she had locked the 
doors behind her.  Not forgetting to double check the locks, to keep 
out the people and their voices, she took the roses and headed for the 
kitchen.  It was at the very back of her house, and it was Alice's 
favorite room, like her sanctuary.  It overlooked a hill and some 
trees, but still had another room, a gardening room made of glass, 
seperating the kitchen from the outside.

   On her way Alice absently pitched her overcoat toward the 
coatstand, dismissing the image of it sliding back off into a crumpled 
heap near the door. She walked past the darkened living room, 
unheeding of the bits of cellophane that were left scattered behind 
her in her narrow hallway. The trail of green wrap continued up to 
where the stairway  unobtrusively shadowed the kitchen.

   Filling a vase with water, Alice suddenly heard the voices at her 
door, trying to slip past and follow her into the kitchen.  Alice 
closed her eyes and groped around her, opening them when she cut 
herself on a thorn.  She closed her eyes again and touched a rose 
petal, feeling its silk on her fingers, telling the voices to go away, 
that she wasn't really there.

   Finally she was able to carry the vase to the table, even though 
they were still at her door.  She was in the kitchen and they wouldn't 
be able to tell she was home.  Arranging the roses in their vase she 
felt the voices leave, not being able to find her.  Alice bent and 
smelled the roses on the table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hide away long, 
By mists and magic tounge,
Beneath the silent moon,
Full and glowing silver,
Tell not one whatyou have seen,
Only you that can discover,
Tell not one what lies ahead,
Only you that can remember,
Tell untold secret spells,
Find andient mysteries,
By mists and magc tounge,
Where strands of song,
Lances glades and linger,
Beneath the silver moon,
Full and glowing silver,
Dripping honey
            Down along
                     My lips to suckle.

© Marie Hedrick 4/9/2000

Frost and Fire -- and other pages recommended by the author (Marie Hedrick)