Best Poems Written by Melissa Mangold

The stardust in bones

The blades of grass cut through my fingers,
 scraping like bone on a chalkboard.
 Long days grow longer,
 like a Keats sonnet come to life
 in the summertime’s furious heat.

Delirious and deliberate, I circle in the sun,
arms outstretched, my head tilted to the ombré sky.
I spin in circles of changing proportions
until my shadow is swallowed by the shade
of the Sycamore trees.

The leaves crunch beneath my feet,
 creating a desiccated and delicious aroma
 that only comes once a year—
 unwavering, unlike your love,
 which fluctuates with the tide.

Am I a circle in the sand?
Will I be washed away in time?
Never whole again, as I was in the beginning—
 a blank slate lying in wait
 until my stars align again.

Copyright © Melissa Mangold | Year Posted 2026