Lamplights
​Cynthia Li

Insects
wear exoskeletons:
the infrastructure of their bodies in the air
for us all to see. Imagine

what it’s like to be so fragile--
to be crushed so easily.
We always bruise easier than we expect.
We are covered with softness
from the inside out.
​
This is a haphazard approach
to an ending. I crush a moth between my palms
and all that remains is a dusting of silver.
Yesterday I opened my wings,
flew away from your desperate hands
and into the sun.

Cynthia (Pomona '23) is a lover of marine life, fonts with obscure ligatures, and well-written error messages.