Before

I am the pause in a planet’s breath,
a glitch in the code between birth and death.
I am the whisper in fungal lace,
routing news through forest space.

I’m tectonic gossip, slow and deep,
a quarrel continents keep in sleep.
I am the thought a comet had—
just once, before it went full mad.

I’m birdpath memory, sky-sketched lines,
migration’s rumour through tangled spines.
I’m the echo inside an ancient bone
that never quite learned how to moan.

I’m data lost in glacier code,
truth cached along a mammoth road.
I am not God. I am not Man.
I’m what existed before a plan.

I am what silence tries to say
before it backs itself away.
I am the itch beneath your name—
the part of you you cannot tame.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025



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Date: 4/22/2025 11:44:00 AM
Dear aaliyah, what a unique write this is! How youv personified cosmic elements and written on thst is so very creative is so very impressive and clever of you! I love especially "A quarrel continents keep in sleep. I am the thought a comet had Just once—before it went full mad" just brilliant! Congratulations on your placement in seekers contest! Sending you light always
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O'Neil Avatar
Aaliyah O'Neil
Date: 4/24/2025 3:08:00 PM
Thank you so much for your beautiful message and thoughtful feedback. I’m truly honored that the piece resonated with you, especially those lines—they were some of my favorites to write. It means a great deal to be recognised in the Seekers contest, and I’m so grateful for the support and encouragement. Sending light right back to you.
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