Cityquake
I run
and the streets split under my feet
like paper in a careless hand.
Neon scratches my eyes
and I laugh
because someone has to
and it might as well be me.
Walls lean in
but I lean back harder
leaving marks
like signatures no one asked for.
The city hums,
traffic blares,
sirens wail—
I dance between them
as if gravity
is as optional
as red lights
in St. Louis.
I kick doors open
I punch glass
I steal a look at the world
and grin—
because chaos is mine
to give away.
Hands in pockets,
jacket catching wind,
heart in riot mode—
I am fire in daylight
and the people watch,
and they notice,
and they step aside.
No apologies.
No plan.
Just streets shaking
under the weight of my laughter,
my mess,
my rebellion
alive
and untamed.
Heather Kays is a St. Louis-based poet and author passionate about writing since age 7. Her memoir, Pieces of Us, dissects her mother’s struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Her YA novel, Lila’s Letters, focuses on healing through unsent letters. She runs The Alchemists, an online writing group, and enjoys discussing creativity and complex narratives.
