paper sky

 Your yellow pencil

paints graphite stars

across a notebook paper sky

The faint mumbling 

of your teacher's voice could be heard

But you're focused on the sky.

You're sitting in your mother's Toyota

Watching the moon follow you

all the way home from Grandma's house.

"Let's not fight in front of her."

You hear your mom plead with your dad.

But you're focused on the sky.

You're climbing your tree

That used to be Joey's,

whose handprints are still there.

Someone yells from afar

But you keep climbing higher

being focused on the sky.

You're up at the top

staring at the clouds,

noting their shapes.

A crack is heard, a break felt.

But you don't notice.

because you're too focused on the sky