Layla Todd

Published on by Susi Bocks
Niklas Hamann – Unsplash

Leap

My thoughts congeal under a loveless moon.
Where I still have blood to give
I give it. I would rather
Go first than be the one
Left behind to dance alone in the waterfall.

Aligning

If I can pick out the tiny purple and white
Violets on the earth’s bosom while
Standing on her thighs
I can grasp a handful of
Seashells with the sunset trapped inside
While balancing on the stale waves of yesterday and still
Fall in love with the moon.

Straight On

The wind strips my skin away
I savor the soft touch of
Unobstructed moonlight.
I do not see the sun rise until
It is upon me. The colors are harsh and
Demand I adapt myself to curves or
Forever cut myself on my corners.

Descent

You tell me to forget wings exist and to
Forget they set me free and
I fall back to you and
I try to move in a straight line and
You force me to
Deviate into circles and
I spiral toward the earth and land in the
Aftermath of a loveless yesterday.

Landing

The dirt draws me in and tries to love me
I tumble down a slope to find the river
In it I see the sky.

~~~

Layla Todd is a word witch and poetess from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She is studying Creative Writing at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and her work has previously appeared in Persona Literary Magazine, Delta Poetry Review, and Visual Verse. Visit her at ninchronicles.com for further writing. Layla was first featured in 2020 and then again in 2022. You can find her previous features HERE.

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