Soar

JANEIN BROOKES

“Soar” is a sonnet, and my first structured piece. As a poet, I prefer to write free verse. “Soar” is personal because, while I don’t know the boy, I watched him grow up.

Go on and fly little chocolate boy, fly! Won’t you fly?

Will your wheels roll fast enough for you to get along

In a world that doesn’t protect little chocolate boys?

Tell the world that your moving body is not a toy. Fly!

Your stare is patient enough to hide insanity

within dark eyes that have borne witness to travesty.

But how long can you avoid the restriction of your blue

jacket? Just remember that people can catch up to you.

I’m up here, little chocolate boy, watching the moving

form of you, wondering if you expect someone to swoon

at your little tricks. Because you have skin they want to peel

and with your valiant resistance, they’ll make the perfect

example of you, soon enough. Little boy, you’ll have to fly

when the airplane of tomorrow’s resistance soars above.