Look at us, mere specks
under the spangled sky,
separated from the gods
by an uncrossable distance.
Overhead, fireworks –
once mere debris –
now sweep the stars,
ignite a dying year,
and dazzle this crestfallen world.
This piece was first published on JAKE on December 31, 2023.
Gretchen is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and essayist from the Philippines, where she embraces life while managing bipolar disorder and ADHD. Her confessional pieces unpack the complexities of grief, healing, motherhood, love, and intersections, garnering recognition from the Greg Grummer Poetry Contest and Navigator's Travel Writing Competition.