By: Sally Lee

Branches and Breaths

Breath, a river,
unseen but constant.
A tether through marrow,
an ember in silence.

It drifts dusk to dawn,
vein to vein,
horizon to horizon—
an orbit of soil and pulse.

Breath aches and kindles—
a hush that shatters nothing.
It returns as seed, as flame,
as weight of root—entwined.

Twilight

Growth breeds through patience,
resilience in broken rhythm
—a spark of truth.

In shadowed courage,
dawn is not escape, but misery,
hope woven with scars,
I dream of mystery.

Freedom from hope,
freedom from future,
freedom from wander,
I dream.

Truth in reflection of I,
not sunlight nor shadow
, but twilight.

Tenderness of Imperfection

Miseria drips from the edges of my chest
Miseria thickens the air, every breath less than the exhale
Miseria stains the tongue with jealous words
Miseria sharpens the reflection that meets my eyes
Miseria points only to the unvarnished truth, a mirror’s betrayal, oh my eyes
Miseria smears all over the canvas each time I compare
Miseria carves fault lines through the stories I tell myself
Miseria, but, teaches that blemish is also texture
Miseria endured becomes the color of forgiveness—of self
Miseria, ugly, tacky, yet humane

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Sally Lee is a student at an international school in Seoul, South Korea. Immersed in a multicultural environment, she draws inspiration from the diverse cultures and experiences around her. She is currently working on her writing portfolio.