Nine Months at Philly Parks and Rec: #1
They hand me forgotten dice
each a different shade of white —
a plastic snake who’s tail has been ripped off.
Can we glue it back together? they ask.
No, we have to bury it, I say.
Their toy from home with instructions
that no one else is to touch it but me.
Miss Holiday, look, they say.
Look
at this piece of paper —
a drawing of a broken heart.
It’s mine – earlier I stole her nose and
have yet to give it back.
Then another drawing of a whole heart after
I asked if she wanted my heart in pieces.
Look, Miss Holiday, they say.
Look at
my Lego spaceship,
what I can do on one leg,
at this bug, is it dead? Look
at how this hurts me!
I too still walk with cupped palms
outstretched, in search of a recipient
of my own salvaged shards.
I understand a plea
for deliverance.
And so when they offer, ask,
lay siege,
I accept.
Holiday Noel Campanella is a multi-disciplinary writer and artist from South Philadelphia. Her work has been published in numerous lit mags and journals, (Gigantic Sequins, San Pedro River Review, Pink Disco, Meow Meow Pow Pow) exhibited and sold nationally, (The Smithsonian Museum, Anthropologie, The Clay Studio) and collected in public and private collections (The Free Library of Philadelphia, Vanderbilt Libraries Special Collections). She has a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in painting and creative writing. You can find out more at holidaynoelcampanella.com.