Golden Shovel

for Langston Hughes

By Shontay Luna

I’ve spent a lifetime, waiting to hold

my breath. Heart beating fast

at the onset of conflict. Running to

me suddenly on roller-skates, shattering dreams

of melancholy. For

what, I don’t recall. Unsure if

I faced it valiantly or laid with my dreams

in fear. But now I see my former self,  I left her to die

within the pages of my past. Now life

is

immersed in the bounty of my worth, like

It’s laden with insight and knowing - a

soul reinvented. Moving forward, scraping up the broken

pieces before dropping them into past tense trash cans. My winged

body now flying to destiny like a bird.

Catching my breath at the wonder that

surrounds me. I cannot

see myself without wanting to fly.

__________________________________

Shontay Luna is the author of four books. Writing credits include appearances in Misfit Magazine, Blue Lake Review and Brittle Paper. Majoring in Poetry for two years at Columbia College Chicago, she remains there with her pens and notebooks. Her published work is on Instagram - @shontayluna