By Loren Oliver
Supplies the world with life,
warms a soul on a winter's day--
a gift from heaven’s breath.
But the sun burns my skin,
gives light, casts shadows.
Cupid’s Arrow,
Lucifer’s Spear.
It takes and gives,
takes and gives, forever
wearing me thinner.
The moonlight is welcomed,
its blue breeze provides peace
yet I cannot sleep
for I cannot feel the bedsheets,
only the burn on my back
red as a heart.
I awaken to the flash of dawn
that strikes my eyes.
On the streets, I see no burns.
Only golden faces.
I gawk in wonder:
The thing that burns me
gives them beauty.
When will I become gold?
Loren Oliver is a member of the Early College Program at CVCC. He loves the flexibility that college gives him to pursue his hobbies, such as mountain biking, hiking, and most of all, fishing.