Natalina Frederick

A(g)h, Love

It’s hard to say whether

I have failed at love

or it has failed with me

love kicks me aside

I torture it with bad poetry

it denies me water

                    food

                    life

I force out of it

some warmth

some light

and wonder when it will take me back

but love owns me

plays with me

I am not its puppet

                                             but its puppy

craving affection

longing for an approval

                                              for a yes

I receive one thousand

                                              “maybe”s

Rock Out.

I am about to give you an order to rock

                                                                                       the hell

                                                                                                                                    out.

I want you to rock out like your car was the only one on the highway, and your favorite song just came on

Rock out like you could take the electricity that exploded through your body when you had your first kiss and power the world with it

Rock out like pomegranates will be in season forever

Rock out like you could turn back time and make sure every person on the Titanic got on a lifeboat

Rock out like every little boy right now started to laugh

Rock out like presidents could run for a third term and Obama just stepped up with a smile

Rock out like every book in every library is on fire and the only way to put them out is by doing the twist

Rock out like in your head is a cure for cancer

Rock out like you have five minutes to live and the best rock song is four minutes and fifty-nine seconds long

Rock out like every second you dance is a second added to your life

Rock out you just escaped an evil boarding school to join a Persian jazz band, like you are being paid to jump and shout with a saxophone

Rock out like someone painted a rainbow on the Westboro Baptist Church

Rock out like every gun in the world suddenly jammed

Rock out like the person who never knows when enough’s enough suddenly lost all of their hair

Rock out like every transgender teen about to cut their wrist is being held back by your tapping feet

Rock out like its pouring outside and you’ve got a girl to run through the rain with you

Like every place you place your feet will grow forget-me-nots

Like a piano is your dance floor

Like the next apple you eat will be perfect

Rock out here

Rock out now.

About the author: Natalina Frederick is a sixteen year old learner from Mill Valley, California, and this is her first publication. She has written a poem every day for over three years, and has no plans of stopping any time soon. Natalina hopes to be a professional poet, calligrapher, or Icelandic sheepherder. If you want to contact her, she can normally be found barefoot by a creek with a book.