How I Begin the New Decade – Brooke Lehmann

I wake briefly from my slumber to scratch

the walls of this chosen dark cave

to remind myself of the stark days passing.

Inside, it’s the hum of the air filter,

wind which all but shakes the bamboo loose,

the dog barking at the ghosts of echoes.

And this is what it means to linger

in the mandates of winter, like burnt sage

afraid and betrayed by my own hustle,

full of air that cannot seem to lift,

settled among the dust, resigned

to stay on the cold, porous ground.

I am not yet ready to face the wild

and untamed forest set before me

which I know, I’ve seen, can starve

even the largest beasts among us.

Brooke Lehmann is a poet currently living in Seattle, WA. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and sees poetry as a form of engineering meaning with words. She began writing through her recovery with chronic illness.  She also enjoys fashion modeling, kettlebells and restorative yoga. Find her at brookelehmann.com or Instagram: @blehmann524.