Poetry by Oakley Ayden

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Rockhard 

Between us — 
i’m rooting rough 

for full on fall of 
rockhard walls 

you’ve protectively
erected, craving 

them to crumble 
down to charred 

up ash so softened
sparks of sweeter

roots have stark 
stripped space

to blaze. 

​



Heartier than the sugared chirps

Three teen girls stride down 
the street, arms linked, their 
singing ringing heartier than 
the sugared chirps of western 
bluebirds paired and perched 
atop my fence’s cypress planks. 
The girls snort-laugh, loud and
safe. I want this for them always.

​



Proper sunrise

Don’t you dare die before you see a proper 
sunrise sky. face pure east on atlantic beach. 

sit softly upon sand, sift simply sans agenda. 
wait beneath swirled coral twists who foretell 

before the keynote. do nothing

and breathe everything into your coldest crevice — 
the one who’s refused to soothe and waits raw along 

your edges. and when the warming 
circle cracks into the clear horize

believe it’s there for you
because it’s there for you.

even those who’ve bled me cold, 
i’d wish their souls this knowing.

​
​

Oakley Ayden (she/her) is an autistic, bisexual writer from North Carolina. Her poems appear in Ghost City Review, The Cabinet of Heed, Maw: Poetry Journal, Not Very Quiet, Neologism Poetry Journal, The Minison Project, Sledgehammer Literary Journal and elsewhere. She lives in California’s San Bernardino National Forest with her two daughters. Find her on Twitter (@Oakley_Ayden) or Instagram (@Oakley.Ayden).

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