by Ashley Dillon

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Driven into shallow waters

            by forces that vowed to protect it

                        it beached itself

After years of growth and development

            soaring through uncharted waters

                        and now this

The divine leviathan

            lay there unable

                        to turn back

                                    to the waters from which it came

Blinking slower

            Breathing strained

                        By Monday it was over

Heads hung at lunch counters

            And on the evening news

“shame”

            They said

                        “belly up”

When it was over

            The crowd dissipated

                        The smell faded

                                    Vultures picked off the rest

                                                                        And that was left were bones

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Ashley Dillon earned a B.A. in Music Performance from Youngstown State University in 2017. Since then, she has remained an active member of the art and music community of greater Youngstown.