Streetlights buzz like Van Gogh's stars
as cars create grey tidal waves along sidewalks
and imitate the wind.
.
At night,
I watch videos online:
.
GoPro footage captured
from the dashboard of a van
driving from
Brownsville to Austin, Texas
while thunderstorms
crash around the vehicle;
.
fake livestreams of fake rain
as it falls over an artificial cabin
in a CGI forest;
.
sounds of ASMR rivers
as they pass through my room,
babbling
from my bedside table.
.
I don't acknowledge
"the ache."
.
I close my eyes
and listen to a car drive
through Texas,
as I hug myself
on a bed in Canada.
.
On Google Maps,
I look at pictures of
"trails near me,"
and everything feels
both too far away,
and much too close.
.
Forests with neatly carved out
hiking trails,
tucked in cul-de-sacs
of suburban towns,
or sparse trees leaning
along main roads
as they lead
to glass malls.
.
Leftover nature.
.
Crop circles
filled with cement
and plywood boxes.
.
And when I stare at them
for too long,
Van Gogh's stars
begin to look like
streetlights.
About the Creator
sleepy drafts
a sleepy 26-year-old named em :)
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
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Comments (36)
Precise, evocative, caparisoned by concrete imagery, and lent depth by its message. "Leftover nature," while a tragedy in reality, is a felicity in language.
Simply sema feel
Love the full circle.
Very lovely. Keep up the good work!!!
Oh man, this is awesome. Such vivid descriptions and perfect choice of words. Sublime and definitely deserving of Top Story!
"Leftover nature." You found the most accurate words! Ugh, so good!
Great story.
Powerful description of the abstractification of nature.
As nyctophile , I love this work ❤️ keep doing more & congrats !
Lovely poem ❤️ will be subscribing to hear more for sure :)
Lovely
Congratulations 🎉 Also I Enjoyed the Read ❤️💯😉🎯
Wow , nice you made my day
Congratulations on well deserved Top Story! ❤️
This is so gorgeous, Em. There is so much here and so much depth. You open up a new world of poetry to me that I need to dabble more in. Love it, love it, love it!
I love the compelling imagery and energy of this piece. And love, love, love the photo. Congrats!
I’m beginning to think I’m more of a short story writer and not an author. Your words like coffee to my morning. Congratulations!
"A meal and a show" - damn fine work - well done!
I'm so glad they made this a top story. It's so well deserved.
Just beautiful!
A fascinating concept and an intriguing idea that seems so confusing and overwhelming to the brain, but beautiful work. I love it!
This is too much for my brain, soothing me yet also reminding me of that “ache”
Congratulations on your Top Story ❤️
"Leftover nature". That line reached through the screen and slapped me, very powerful!
Van Gogh’s stars ⭐️ magical and magnificent