One day,

I hope to be as kind to these ladybugs

as my partner.

 

I call them an infestation in his home.

He calls it a minuscule blanket of joy in the corners of the walls.

 

I call them an unexpected nuisance.

He calls them an unexpected surprise.

 

I want them dead.

He wants them alive.

 

He asks, “Why would you want the most 

prized symbol

of our relationship,

the beautiful cliché of how lucky we are

to be together,

to disappear?” 

 

Maya Williams has her Bachelor’s in Social Work and Bachelor’s in English from East Carolina University. She also has her Master’s in Social Work and Certificate in Applied Arts and Social justice from the University of New England. She has published articles and poems on sites such as The Tempest, INTER, Black Girl Nerds, Multiracial Media, GlitterMOB, and Soft Cartel. In her spare time, she enjoys writing and performing spoken word poetry, facilitating writing workshops for youth, and watching movies/musicals.