Photo by Dilan NaGi on Unsplash

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Red alert, readers–we have our first submission!

And no, I didn’t blackmail anyone to get this. A sophomore Hunter from our school read my poem from last week and sent in a submission, like, the next day. I didn’t even hear about it until last weekend because Prof. Penn likes to procrastinate…

Anyway, I’m a believer in letting a person’s work speak for them, so I’ll wait until the poem is finished before I’ll reveal who sent this one in. They put me to shame:

Three stories but nothing to tell

Open and empty, my personal hell

No closet’s big enough for all of the corpses

These vaulted ceilings can’t handle steel doors

And if only there were a place I could be

If only

Let’s sleep beneath a blanket of stars

And dream of a life that ain’t so hard

Rainbows reflect in an amber gaze

I want to be lost for the rest of my days

Three stories more at age eleven

Loud and crowded, my slice of heaven

Rooftop access and shaky curfews

A soft secret smile that I never deserved

You showed me a place where I could just be

You showed me

Let’s sleep beneath a blanket of stars

And dream of a life that ain’t so hard

Rainbows reflect in an amber gaze

I want to be lost for the rest of my days

They won’t be satisfied ’til we’re dead

So let’s disappear instead

No more wishing and waiting

For our lives to change

I just need one word

And we’ll never be the same
‘Cause forever means running from yesterday

And I close my eyes ‘neath a blanket of stars

Dreaming of a life that ain’t so hard

I think of how rainbows reflect in your gaze

And I can’t wait to see

Where you and I will be

‘Cause forever means running from yesterday

Written by Storm Cloud

You read that right, readers–this week’s poem was submitted by Maelstrom “Storm” Cloud, the lead vocalist of the contemporary grunge band Empty Obsessions. If you ask me, this kind of reads like a song they’d put out, so maybe they’ll perform it at a future festival…

Let’s serve the world some more poetic justice next week. Until then, make sure you like this post, leave a comment with your thoughts, share this post with your friends, and follow The Arcane Citizen for more entertainment. I might share poetry weekly, but the club posts daily content!

See you next time, Citizens. Ax out!

Axel de Ardo

Poetry Enthusiast

Looking to submit a poem? Send an email to Prof. Penn with your poem, link to your blog/socials, your respective usernames, and how you want to be credited (real name, pseudonym, username, etc.) If your poem was inspired by a royalty-free image, artwork that you created or commissioned, or a story, please include the appropriate credit. The professor will check all submissions for plagiarism, and those submitting stolen content will be reported to the appropriate parties.