Poem by Maya Stein

Here's a poem I got in the GoodReads newsletter. Go here https://www.goodreads.com You can subscribe to their newsletter and read a new poem every month. I like every single one I've read. If you're into poetry, you'll want to check them out.  


Even the stars have anemia
and the sun, come winter, waves feebly from a dim noon sky. Even a mountain
sags under the weight of its long haul through history, and a trail 
through the woods blanches from foot traffic. Lizzie put on a brave face, 
despite the cough that kept her up at night, coffee barely
denting her exhaustion. My friend the musician works so hard
her vocal cords strain against her throat when she whispers. I see them, taut
but tender, young soldiers forced into an early war. I don't know what keeps us
burning through our own reserves, insisting on performance long after
the curtain crumples to the stage. Even the stars have anemia, fading when
we look too close. Even rain evaporates. Even the moon turns its back.

Poem written by Maya Stein
Winner of the Goodreads Poetry Contest, April 2014