Black Sky Rain

The sky grows dark
suffocates, dictates
but doesn’t take the fear

alone, together
in the empty dining hall
her legs around him
not sure of the next move
not sure of tomorrow.

“I fucking love you”
he says
“And I’m not sure if
I’ll be alive the day after
tomorrow.”

Maybe so... her fate too
is uncertain like the rain
that falls from the blackness
like the news that no longer happens.

In their school uniforms
they slip on sweat pants
and an extra sweater. A coat
and boots. Each girl carries
a large hiking pack
filled canned food from the kitchen
blankets, tents, and sanitary napkins.
They meet alone and together
in the dining hall.

She sees his ghost
She sees herself
on the table in the corner
where once they held hands
in secret and passed notes
in another time—
three days ago.

I fucking love you he says
the rain falls outside
the last of the teachers gather the girls.
The boys were taken
last night, conscripted,
enlisted– gone. Destiny uncertain.

The girls huddle
alone and together
and follow the headmistress
out the big doors to the woods
to a place only she  knows
directed, commanded
but won’t share. Destiny uncertain.

I fucking love you he whispers
as she forgets memories
of another life, opens her
pale mouth to drink the black rain.

***
Here is poem 3 for NaPoWriMo.  I get hit with a cold and though I had this idea for the poem, I didn't get it written until today. I am drinking the Dayquil like there's no tomorrow- so the poems should be interesting, to say the least. Well, Nyquil creates more weirdness but then I don't function either.  Somehow I managed to write 3 pages for Camp.  Oh yeah, Grammarly apparently doesn't understand poetry and line breaks. Anyway, find more poets at NaPoWriMo.