the sky was purple
by j. g. bova
and here i sit a shade of lavender
living lavishly under the falsities of
fantasies left hanging among the
clouds that i may someday build
strong foundations underneath
this haze of lavender
but now the sky was purple
hills were blue and rocks were
rainbow fruity pebbles that my
tastebuds yearned for and yet
i live in spite of my brain tethering
clouds to unkept grounds chaining
them to grass that cannot stand by
themselves in desperation thirsting
for the gentle mist of ice shards
hanging out in the molecules beyond
this fog of lilac
and here i stand by shadows
i thank the sky for being loyal
to my clouds that rose up from
rivers and droplets and lakes and
puddles glazed over by ink of them
Joseph Bova, as known as j. g. bova, is a writer and senior student studying Creative Writing at Salem State University, class of 2023. He is a founding leader of the SSU Writers’ Group, as well as the Co-Vice President for Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. Joseph received the SSU Creativity Award in Creative Writing in 2022. They have published several pieces in Salem State’s Red Skies Magazine, as well as read at several poetry readings. He is working on an upcoming honors creative project with Professor Tanya Rodrigue, which is a fantasy audio drama episode. In their free time, Joseph enjoys audio storytelling, writing poetry under trees, listening to music, and exploring nature.