AUTUMN GIRL

ii. "i am insane" written on bubble gum wrappers in the rain

i am insane

your empty eyes stare at the words in front of you

written in with dark blue fountain pen ink reflected on the glass panes that glitter like starlight

outside the classroom window

it rains

your mind draws parallel lines

and strawberry blonde fields in between

you are insane because you imagine fantastic things beyond our human minds

you even imagine being normal

because dear reader, my dearest, sweetest reader

we are ALL normal

to ourselves

(or we should be)

you dream of a clear sky and satin pink curtains framing the pristine school yard

you dream of gaining courage to dream of jupiter painted smiles on moon colored faces of a mother who is not yours

to dream of enjoying a chocolate ice cream cone instead of shivering at how cold it makes you feel inside

to dream of dreaming

i am insane

that is what you wrote on the wrinkled bubble gum wrapper

and as your teacher rambles on

you outline the next words slowly

so small that if you saw them years later you wouldn't have recognized them

but alice was too