Poetry by Yvonne Tran

Edited by Ella Wu

for the eternal, the rest must be specks

in the speck will lie an ash,

a remembrance of all things important and now, 

that has burned out long ago. 

I smell of smoke and broken dreams 

and the midnight sky has remembered me 

there’s an ache that arose

it cradled my body

it came with the sunrise and lingered

by the bed I left empty 

No stopping now,

I’ve forced the hand and the hour

drawn by the sights somehow

found myself caught –

encased by the careless night sky 

and surrounded by cold winter showers 

The stars will trance 

like an eye to a desperate thread

 and the sky above shimmers 

with words went unsaid 

The balance and calm eternity must preach,

washes over in waves

soothing, 

caring,  

but I admit, 

it’s not something I can always reach 

As this sky slowly folds, 

my eyes finally clear

the admiration once luring

becomes source of bitter, no longer held dear 

There’s no telling how long my fingers have raked this floor

Why fate turned its belly over, 

Demanded something fulfilling,

Damned hands that scraped for more 

But my luck never changes

There’s always two stones, a crooked stick

I thought about stopping, but I’ve already struck a desperate lick

When two stones clash, an ember will emerge, 

sparks on a stick, release an aching urge 

If I can’t reach the heavens tonight, 

my smoke will have to do.

It’s something to remember me by, 

an ill fated. star bound fool.

Artist Statement: Last quarter was difficult for me in many ways, and I was exploring the idea of broken dreams as in my expectations falling short, but also broken dreams as in, I’m losing sleep and I’m miserable. That’s sort of how I started this poem and I guess you’ll see where that leads. I’m getting more used to adding narratives into my poems so this feels like my first fully fleshed out narrative poem.