Starry Eyed by Valerie Parente
Stardust on my eyes
pretend I am surprised
by the darkness of the night
when you know damn well I’m starry eyed.
I would never see
the constellations and their beauty
without the contrast of the night
black like the pupils in my eyes.
Rejoice my friend
this is all our eyes’ reflection
light and dark are the same principle
and from here on out you are invincible.
– Valerie Parente (7-30-2022)
Black and White by Valerie Parente
They say the higher you climb,
the harder the fall,
but if you ask me,
that doesn’t make sense at all.
When I’m sky high,
the clouds are my cushion,
the sun is my eyes,
and the moon is my vision.
I see a gradient in everything,
life is not black and white,
“all is good, all is evil,”
is a fallacy old as time.
I see it from the cliff,
the gifted and the damned,
and there’s really no difference,
between those two hands.
Every blessing has its dark hours,
every curse can shed a light,
it’s about finding the gray area,
between the black and white.
The hurt feels so dark,
the hope, a bright light,
the heal, a full moon,
connecting day to night.
– Valerie Parente (4-14-2021)
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