my heart beats wildly
a butterfly flinging itself at its cage
gentle wings folding and cracking against my ribs.
dust smears across bone
swaths of color puffed
almost delicately
against its ivory cage.
a thump.
then another.
the hopeless beating of a butterfly’s wing
smeared and cracked
but alive all the same
drained of color
lost on helpless attempts at escape.
alone it beats
off kilter from a broken wing
that never healed right
nearly torn in two
but stitched back together by gentle hands
and soft voices
that cup it tenderly
nursing it back to health
even if it will never fly the same again.
a butterfly beats its wings
a mournful tune of pain and loss
but also of healing and growth
of color that bleeds back into gray
of scars that fade with time
but never truly disappear.
a gentle beat of a butterfly’s wing
thumps softly in my chest.
Welcome to the Cardinal Collection! We are the Literary Magazine, and this year we are working with the Newspaper to bring you our magazine! Our magazine is a collection of fictional writing pieces and art submitted by students. Our collection works a little differently than the Newspaper. We accept submissions not just from members of the club, but also from the student body in general! No commitment, no stress, no extra club. This is an easy way to get published! We accept poetry, short stories, excerpts, and art! Scan the QR code or visit the form here to submit your works. You must be logged on to your AACPS email to submit. And if you would like to join our club to help edit and put together the collection, stop by room A233 on Thursdays during Red Week!
