PRAYING FOR A PLACE
Sun
yellow as a buttercup,
blooming
outside a kitchen window.
Breakfast
of chocolate bubbles
floating
in a sea of milk.
I
want to believe Bono,
that
this will be
a
beautiful day,
that
my family
won’t
bicker like children,
that
children
won’t
hunt me like wolves.
Spooning
the last of my cereal,
I
climb the stairs
to
grab my backpack,
my
provisions for learning
in
a place both heaven and hell.
Away
from a hectic household,
but
into a building of bullying.
No
safe haven but my bedroom,
where
I can write stories,
draw
pictures,
read
books,
hear
music,
dance
freely,
dream
big.
I
wish I could stay,
in
those four walls of safety,
covered
in artwork and posters,
housing
a dresser of figurines,
and
a desk to create masterpieces.
But
I must go into the world,
be
around others,
who
aren’t always kind to me.
Maybe
one day,
things
will be better,
will
have lots of friends,
and
be respected.
But
for now,
I
must endure home and school,
and
pray for a place
where it’s okay to be me.
Susanne Wolf’s first major publication was a short story called “The Reluctant Lady,” appearing in the anthology Camelot 13. Susanne has recently had a poem, “High Tide at Ocean City, Maryland,” and a flash fiction, “This is Not a Date,” published in the July 2025 issue of Pen in Hand. She is currently working on a children’s story collection and a few poetry collections, which she plans on self-publishing. You can follow her Facebook author page @Susanne Wolf and her Instagram @susannewolfwriter.
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