Vaughn Russell

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I make my wishes Upon the pearls You gave me. l've walked The tiled floors That you once paced I say your prayer At the table Set for three. I pride myself On the fears With you lfaced

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lflash a grin With the smile They say l've taken I fight For things Youd know I should I let myself Know when l've Been shaken I share Love with those You wish you could. I pray You hear the ocean As l'd want you to. I accepted The tears you Forced from my eye I embraced Your arms in The wind that blew I set my sights On the stars Where you now lie

\f,^ghls the Morut^g $to

Mry*^ Kwakwa

She noticed, at first, when he started to sway, right to left, right to left. "lt/aybe he's dancing...' she whispers, with a sigh-soft as baby's breath-but tonight everyone knows that Buck Anderson's not dancing-no: that's a man, gin ln his guts, howling so loud that God heard the sound

Echoed like a legend, that miserable sound, like sinners on judgment day, with a roar that made the trees sway. She told him stop-'Aww, BucklCome on!"-but no; he persisted, so they left. Buck droops on her dlmples and she wishes that tonight he would have just stayed home, and then, she could have really gone dancing

"l love dancingl She remembered the stomp to every beat and the beat to every sound. lf she had got the chance tonight, you would have seen that Donna twist and sway like a breeze on the tip of a kiss; but they had left. She didn't hate him usually-no-

she just wished that one day he'd grow up. No one understood that Buck was like a severed wing dancing on the shoulder of a broken bird;crushed.The first time he left she said Amen but when he returned, he made a sound that mellowed her heart.Then, two months later, again with his sway and it started all over, the nights, like tonight.

So that's when she snapped. "Just wanted to let loose tonight Buck!'Squeezing his neck, he screamed,'Jesus help me!'l but no angel in heaven dared disturb the fury that painted her grin. The sway of her legs as her feet made dents and her arms dancing to the rhythm of her palpitating veins until he made no sound,

and all she could hear was the bell in the chapel as it swung from right to left,

right to left.

That's when she realizes that tonight is her morning after. No more lndian summers and cocktail dresses;no more dancing wind chimes and leaves that tumble, and roll, and sway.

She wished she'd left when freedom had called;when no lock was without a key, when the only sound was of children dancing, when the sway of passion had entranced her. she wished she'd run tonight, tonight.