Odyssey Part 4

This is the fifth edition in my series, published in Inhale the Night, Sleeping with Earth, an eBook released by Darcia Helle and Moments at Midnight.

Find part three right here. Part one here.

Odyssey

~

She looked away

Before tears betrayed her emotions…

Broken images, a broken family

Flashed through her mind…

She almost had

Her stillborn sister…

Journey…

And not a loss

clawing at her throat

each morning –

a siren

broke the chaos

in her mind…

something had happened

in the hallway

a voice told them

to block the door…

they were underneath

their desks,

one moment and the next –

Mr. Lewis hit the floor

with blood across his temple.

Another shot.

Another victim.

Odyssey counted them

in horror as her classmates fell

beneath sounds of semi-automatic

fire –

was she next?

she felt helpless

like her mother left alone

inside the hospital..

battling coronavirus…

her hand closed around

the golden circle

of her parent’s ring and

grasped.. the pen…

tied with rubber bands

around a nail…

Leanne, her mother, wouldn’t hesitate…

and neither could

Odyssey…

the shooter turned his

back for three seconds

and she jumped

with everything she had

into the fire.

~

© Ben Ditmars 2021

~

Explore The End of Nights, Journey, and more.

0

Odyssey Part 3

This is the fifth edition in my series, published in Inhale the Night, Sleeping with Earth, an eBook released by Darcia Helle and Moments at Midnight.

Find part two right here. Part one here.

Odyssey

Image Source: Flickr (CC)

~

DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY

was scratched into her three ring

notebook –

it was her small way

of chipping at the ceiling

while Mr. Lewis

rambled on –

another man,

self-absorbed,

omnipotent in his domain.

he could have geometry

for all she cared.

Odyssey learned better

Without distractions

Of which, there were too many –

Her grandmother didn’t understand

A teenage girl or

Think to speak

Instead of yell –

It was painful to go home.

It was painful to stay.

Jacie tore up bits

Of her eraser and threw

Them at Odyssey

Forcing her to turn around.

“Stop!” she yelled.

The class laughed

In unison.

“Odyssey, is there a

Problem?”

Her teacher asked.

She mouthed “nothing”

And he quickly moved

From sines to tangents.

Odyssey took a deep

Breath as her mother taught her.

It would be okay, and if not,

She had a rubber band to tie

Around a pen and nail …

for Jacie’s throat.

~

© Ben Ditmars 2021

~

Explore The End of Nights, Journey, and more.

1

Odyssey Part 2

This is the fifth edition in my series, published in Inhale the Night, Sleeping with Earth, an eBook released by Darcia Helle and Moments at Midnight.

Find part one right here.

Odyssey

~

The bell rang

As she rushed to

Fifth period –

Barely making it

Before Jacie,

Blond as she was popular,

Pushed Odyssey inside.

Mr. Lewis briefly

Looked but otherwise

Said nothing.

He always said nothing.

Like the memory

Her father left of a

Drowned body and

Ring left on the pier…

He remained as cold and lifeless.

She could feel the golden circle

In her jeans –

A gift her mother left

Before the virus got the best of her

Last June.

She couldn’t visit with

The hospital locked down

But she

Heard her voice crack over

Zoom calls.

Telling her:

“Stay beautiful

Like the light you are

And shine between us.”

~

© Ben Ditmars 2021

~

Explore The End of Nights, Journey, and more.

1

Odyssey Part 1

This is the fifth edition in my series, published in Inhale the Night, Sleeping with Earth, an eBook released by Darcia Helle and Moments at Midnight.

Instead of writing every day for National Poetry Month, I thought I might give you this each week. Enjoy.

Odyssey

~

‘Her dad jumped off a bridge’

said the girl behind her back.

‘Her mother followed him

Crashing

with the Firebird’

Only half of it was true.

Her father jumped,

Leanne refused to follow.

She was immortal.

She was more than him.

She was the Firebird

reborn into a child

from the ashes –

skin and bones

a hungry heart

named Odyssey.

~

© Ben Ditmars 2021

~

Explore The End of Nights, Journey, and more.

3

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