Student Publishing Program ::

Sarah Lockwood

Blue Comfort

Come now,
lie down beneath me.
Let me cover you.
No light can penetrate into the depths
of my soft, thick down.

I promise not to laugh at your tears,
but please-
do us all a favor and hide those red puffy eyes
from the world.

Under here,
no one will be able to see
the way the muscles in your face contort
and how ugly you look when you cry.

I can’t protect you forever,
but at least you can feel safe
here-
for perhaps twenty minutes
until they come for you.

In the meantime I’ll do my best
to block out the voices coming from the other room,
but I can only muffle their words
and break up the sentences
into fragments.

And once you’ve quieted, just close your eyes;
fall asleep and perhaps you’ll find yourself
in the embrace of a loved one you’ve been dreaming for
and not just,
an old blue comforter.

So come now.
I’ll be your secret refuge
and blanket your cold body
with silence and peace.

I won’t love you,
but I'll certainly keep you warm for a little while.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2012 EDITION]