Cynthia Fu // THE CONTINUOUS CYCLE

People look down on me,
never looked up to.
Sometimes they kneel down,
to help me.
Only when I’m a mess.

Do they care?
No.
Only when I get in the way,
in the way of their comfort.

Sometimes I’m perfect,
I feel pretty and people feel satisfied:
a win-win situation.

But most times
I’m just stepped on.
Dragged
through rain or snow,
dirt or mud

But
when I’m weak and tangled,
they will pretty me up into a bow,
maybe twice or thrice. However,
in the end
I will become loose.
Dragged and stepped on.
In a cycle.

So please,
be careful and mindful
of our feelings.
When we are stepped on,
kindly help us get back up
to be the beautiful selves we are.

Your shoelaces

Roshan Syed // I JUST FLIPPED THE SWITCH

I get hit before sleep,
and after the sun
beams through the window

My identical twin,
controls the spinning blades,
The scary ones on the ceiling

I get rid of the monsters
under the bed,
and in the closet

Prevent stubbing toes
Againstthe corner
of the bed

Without me,
dark stairs
become menacing stairs

Control if you see
nothing or everything
If I’m flipped up or down

I don’t know nobody else thats doing this