what you built

by Alayna VanDoeselaar

paint on the wall

a color you picked quickly

I pick at it with fingers

that wiped my tears

you tear the picture of us all

frame it and hang it on the wall

do you tell her about – 

the miles crossed and flies on the wall

do you tell her what they saw

the sounds falling through your hands

does she see what you built

what was torn down

this smell of new carpet is not the 

same as new beginnings

you reach out an olive branch but 

I’m on my own now

it’s okay

I know

Alayna VanDoeselaar is an emerging writer who enjoys creating poetry and fiction in many forms. Born and raised in Michigan, she is now attending Michigan State University, studying English in hopes of pursuing her writing passions as a career.