shy — a poem by linda m. crate

I fold myself into silence,

I wax and wane in desire —

that never comes to

fruition; mother taught

me never to make waves.

I watch all the lovers as

they frolic upon the

beaches and in the woods —

taking my dreams with

them, leaving me stripped

bare of my leaves like an

autumn tree, and I let them —

I wish I were braver, that

I’d steal my moments back;

but I’m too shy to be an

ocean, so I sit back and 

drink in champagne clouds;

lilt my loneliness to trees —

my heart burns with passion

my lips will never express.

___
Linda M. Crate is a Pennsylvanian native born in Pittsburgh, but she was raised in the rural town of Conneautville. She attended and graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English-Literature in 2009. Her poetry, articles, reviews, and short stories have appeared in several journals online and in print.