Only Falling – Hayley Russell

Only Falling
 
There is something beautiful that i
have to write, but
i do not know what it is. i know
there are skies melting into oceans to
create a song, but
i do not know where the sky is.
 
i only know that i will fly there
one day. But for now i
am a cat,
 
chasing
 
butterflies and birds,
digging my nails into trees as if
they deserve to be punished.
As if when i
reach the top branch i will be flying.
But i am not, i am only
 
falling.
 
i
am a cat and
cats do not have hands to grip a pencil,
cats cannot tell you that i love you, cats
are kicked and yelled at because master is
 
angry
 
and cats cannot carve a hole in
my skull to let the words out.
 
i curl up on the bed, dream
of catching butterflies, only so i
can sew their wings to my back.
 

by Hayley Russell
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School