BILLIE MCCORKLE - POEMS

Billie McCorkle is an author of short stories, poetry and three self published zines. Currently, she is working on her first novel. Originally from Indiana, Billie is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and U.S. history. Her writing has been published on, ‘The Scarlet Leaf Review’ , in The Curlew, in Border Senses and on Short Kid Stories. She lives with her two cats, Rainier (found on a pirate ship, taming a tiger) and Adobe (found herding cows with a cowboy). They all live in the Pacific Northwest. 

We Are Still Here
​

​The hate clung to the air-contagious-breathe
tears flowed, eyes red, fists pumped, our faces hot
they yell, they spew lies, over and they teethe
in time-living backwards in thought
The light that was ensured did not appear
shouts and fists pumped through the air-in time
they stared and making us part of their fear
uncertain thoughts plagued our hearts leaving grime
The sun shone on our backs revealing us
for who we are-are like you and you-cry
we refused to get on the back seat bus
they stopped to wonder whether to deny
The sun shone on our visage to reveal
the wounds that were inflicted would soon heal

The Dream
​

​The dream was not a nightmare-sad she felt
of the ghost that lived in her mind at night
not wanting to close her eyes, she had dealt
with the pain came more pain, she knew no light
The dream was ready for afraid she knew
the one whom she loved would return tonight
regret crept filling in the void anew
afraid, rejoining she was to moonlight
Guilt came around amid the day, tears flowed
but the day burned bright and melted away
all she once had feelings for did erode
the night’s embrace she welcomed on that day
The one she loved no longer haunted her
the night stashed the fog, no dreams would occur

Broken Compass
​

​All the people in the city scurry to and fro
like a sandy disrupted ant hill
orderly yet too many to know
-said the mysterious man
pressure from the bodies pressed upon me
until I broke with a crack and a wail
shattered like broken glass
adding to the growing hill of ants
the mysterious man leads the way
down a lightless tunnel
into a cardboard apartment
he offers a seat of make believe
whereby I accept with an outstretched arm
-a pin prick
waves cover me like a cool wet blanket as eyes close
I see an ant starting at me
It speaks
“your compass is broken”
the mysterious man awaits my arrival patiently
I sit up and feel relieved
the burden of life carried away by ants

Silence
​

​Silence is the color of static and the sound of nothing 
But if we are quiet and still
Standing in a rainbow, wet with fresh dew 
Silence transforms into a crow cawing 
Trees swaying in time
With the wind
Carries calls to a silent world 
 
We must be standing in a rainbow 
 

Being Stronger
​

​Fictitious respect handed down to her
a baby face and bottom crying dropped
in fifth consistent battle whisperer
the pain and guilt her stomach would sink popped
Fast forward through ten or eleven years
she sits here getting beat up in sundown
she knows exactly why—her dreams drowned smear
the rain stopped turning the world crispy brown
The salty tears dried up so many years ago
her eyes dry emptiness being released now
then thoughts occurred to her—I am the foe
the rains came back and she made a true vow
She will get out of self-defeating way
because she needs control and has a say