Image: Unsplash, downloaded (https://unsplash.com/photos/vgnQZ4DMI6g) 15.05.2022.
In Orbit
These days rocket ships are reduced to illustrations and cartoons,
The ones I look at with my kids.
My son even has a rocket-shaped stress ball,
Waiting to be squeezed, instead of launched into space.
I try not to think too much about space.
It's a bone of contention.
I never have enough of it. How could I?
Little hands touching,
Little feet kicking.
Big tempers rising.
I'm constantly chasing and berating,
Like a grumpy bear with a needle in its paw.
Growl, growl, whimper, wail.
Daydreams of escaping are temporary though.
A few hours hiding in the guest room,
And I'm ready to return to reality.
My moon and stars are in the living room,
Sweaty palms outstretched,
Eyes bright with adoration,
Waiting to spin around me.
They're always spinning around me.
About the Author: Thushanthi Ponweera is an author and poet from Sri Lanka. Her debut middle-grade verse novel I am Kavi is forthcoming from Holiday House in 2023. She is a former We Need Diverse Books mentee and a blogger for the same organization. Her writing reflects the frustration she feels at the inequality and injustice she sees around her, and also the deep love she feels for her island home. Her poetry has appeared in The Pheonix Rising Review, Versification, and Glitchwords among others. You can find her on Twitter @thushponweera and on Instagram as thush.
