I step into the battleground, shield strapped behind my ears.
Chin covered. Nose covered. 
Ready.
Go. 

Six from behind 

Six left         Six right
     Six front 

An enemy creeping closer, no shield?

Closer  Six 
Closer  Six 
Closer  Six 

Weapons drawn. Ready to kill. 

Six feet apart?

Or six feet under? 

Every stranger is a threat

To me 

To you 

Six weeks? Six months? Six years? Six lifetimes? 

Finally home 

Slam the door  
Sigh of relief 

Not any Sixes in here 
Not any Sixes to hunt me down. 
For now.

I see my parents and sisters and dogs 
No six degrees of separation,
Six degrees closer now. 

What can I think of cold, blank, empty halls
And crowds that gather just outside the gate?
I listen, hear their loud, excited calls
And cannot see on what they do fixate.
If I could see into another's mind
Perhaps it would be possible to know
Why they love what cannot respond in kind
And praise those things that do not say "hello."
The world so loves its objects and facades
We learn that they will bring souls to bliss
And answer quiet prayers like kind gods,
But no purpose have I received from this.
And as more minds do brim with empty thoughts,
I hope we might escape these lie-filled knots. 

The thoughts of left and right, of strict and free
Both equal halves of complex nerves and wires
Wound so tight in stress and conflicting fires
Two lobes, two neighbors in disputed peace

The left with structures high and grand but bland
And works of logic pasted at each stand
Efficient stations strive for perfection
Repeated tasks of flawless projection

Glitter, glamour, gushing rivers of gold
The right with lavish ideas; creative
one could say, and highly innovative
But stars' lights shine, a glimpse too fast to hold

These two lobes fight as nerves and wires wind tight
Incessant pain as tensions reignite

Lustrous, long, flowing, deep brown waves, auburn
And amber streaks with tendrils, winding loops
Reaching toward the sun, falling to earth
And, everywhere, unruly, untamed

Out of the shower, cascading ringlets,
Waves down the back below the waist, like the
Raids waterfall, artfully crafted
Into a tight braid, snaking down the back

Stories of Native American and
Black boys, payot worn by Jewish boys, Sikhs
Discriminated against, expelled from
School because of their traditions, culture

Like Samson's hair or the lion's mane, my
Strength, identity entwined in my crown. 

Serenity, whispering in the night
The brilliant light gleaming across the sky
Gently awaiting the time to ignite
An upper being, standing by as she dies.

High above the sky, soaring with the sun
Rising like the dawn, a life emerges
Moving like the young winds, begging to run
Beneath the heat, a new being surges.

An explosion of sound, scaring away
Misery as the bliss overcomes
What once was fear, keeping the thoughts at bay
Shining with joy, but turning over the drums.

As the sunset appears, she lies awake
Pondering life, thinking of mistakes.