Poetry by Linda M. Crate

maybe so should i 

i'm in need 

of some

creature comforts:

some soft, warm

bread and delicious soup;

some cheese and cake—

give me some soft, warm

blankets and some cozy books;

a nice cup of hot tea

some healing and relaxing 

rest and slumber—

it is autumn,

so lovely and beautiful;

i want to see the leaves in 

all their glory before they 

dance in the wind—

and afterward perhaps 

hibernate all winter

because if bears can sleep

and eat and find comfort 

in those long, cold months then

maybe so should i.

too long yet too short 

i want to 

find 

people who

feel like the 

comfort of the warmth

of the sun because

i have met too many

cold and distant 

as the moon,

while the moon is beautiful

these people are the worst

parts of her and never as

comforting; 

so let me meet people

who feel like sunshine—

my bones need to find 

warmth and safety and comfort

in another being,

life is too long

yet also too short

to spend every

day alone;

i need to break out of 

this place i am in now

because this darkness is of

little comfort to me and i want

nothing less than peace. 

i can water myself 

there 

is no comfort in

lingering in places

no longer 

yours,

so i am afraid that 

i may have to sever 

myself from people

i once thought i couldn't

live without

because they no longer bring

any joy;

i am tired of being the only one

that waters friendships simply so

others can feel comfortable

in our friendship while i can feel

worried and insecure—

from now on 

should someone want my friendship

then they need to put effort in

or i will go water myself

because i deserve places where

i can be comfortable.

-linda m. crate 

Linda M. Crate (she/her) is a Pennsylvanian writer whose poetry, short stories, articles, and reviews have been published in a myriad of magazines both online and in print. She has twelve published chapbooks the latest being: Searching Stained Glass Windows For An Answer (Alien Buddha Publishing, December 2022). She is also the author of the novella Mates (Alien Buddha Publishing, March 2022). Her debut book of photography Songs of the Creek (Alien Buddha Publishing, April 2023) was recently published.