Published
Paradise Prison
Your little island
The safest cage you’ve known
There are things that wait for you
Beyond the lonely sea
Your little grass and sandy shores
A lovely home indeed
But for the things you do not seek
You’ll never know you need
So build a boat and take a chance
Go find who you might be
Your little island
Sits on iron earth
Iron lands make iron crowns
Iron shovels can’t dig you out
Iron ships will sink you down
Then your iron heart will make you drown
You’re trapped alone on Iron Mound
Give up on your iron ground
Plant some trees and hope they take
Wooden ships fix iron fate
Your little island
Has crafted native flowers
Blooming bulbs, sturdy stems
Dark green leaves, thorny bends
Yellow pistils, golden spout
At their base, the petals sprout
Silk to touch, orange fade
Edges red, sunset blaze
Aromas drift, a sugar haze
Numbered time, endangered days
Show us all your flower heart
The world may bloom in better part
Don’t let it meet a wilted end
Unseen beyond your island’s sand
—Connor