Zoe Campbell: Poetry Collection

Damsel in Distress

When the glass prison shatters 

And the shards pierce skin 

Your ghost will drive me to the end 

Your love is a diluted elixir pulling me in 

Prolonging my suffering 

Sleep drunk 

Coming undone 

“Isn’t this fun?” 

Are there stuttering breaths? 

Shrödinger’s death  

Can something be inevitable if it’s already happened? Does a shriveled flower still exist? 

Do hummingbirds still flitter above? 

Do wingbeats keep its pulse a driving thrum? 

Does the field mourn its loss? 

Sacred prayers 

Desperate glares 

Do the ashes stay after the phoenix has gone and flown away? 

I used to learn your secrets, now I just learn the gas leak scent That hangs around like I hang from a phantom thread 

I’m still trying to unravel your tapestry in my head 

You pinned me to the wall with every blade of my hope 

While I still grasped the hilt 

Slowly gave me oxygen 

Healed my wounds with a serrated edge— 

I’ll only hold my breath after this

About the Author:

Zoe Campbell is a 15-year-old poet and songwriter from the Bay Area. Being partially deaf, she uses poetry to express herself when she is unable to verbally. In college, she is studying sign language and philosophy, which is helping her find new ways to articulate her thoughts. In her free time, she plays piano and guitar, journals, and dances to her favorite pop songs.