White Noise

when arroyo verde burned

i heard the memories scream.

trees we named metamorphosed to embers:

clean slate.

our favorite picnic spot scalded to a grave:

clean slate.

there is no joy of newness in ashes.

no beauty in watching the world burn.

now there is a sickly swatch of grass

that do esn't

reme mb er

it s na m e.

schff schff goes the blackboard eraser.

schff schff goes the fire.

clean slate,

cle an sla te,

white noise.

Rachel Schmidt is a creative writing major and history minor at the University of Redlands. With a love for fantastical worlds and the simple things in life, she finds herself incorporating these themes into her poetry. In her free time, Rachel enjoys drawing, horseback riding, and tutoring equally frazzled online learners.