Two Pieces (To all the friends who witnessed my downfall and stood by & Thank U) by Juliette Sebock

To all the friends who witnessed my downfall and stood by

When the palace was sieged,
murdered princess, prince, and queen,
I wasn’t sure I could ever feel whole again
behind the barricade.

But it was at a rectangle table of pillows and knights
where still, you stood by
me and believed me
and helped to build a new palisade.

You not only believed me,
but helped to banish the banshee
and let the banishèd live in something resembling peace
in the rebuilt castle.

I firmly believe that I wouldn’t be standing
here today if it weren’t for your brilliant handling
of my bloody downfall,
so I thank you, valiant vassals.

Thank U

When I text my friend,
Thank you for not being a man.
She laughs despite knowing that I’m entirely too serious.
She laughs because she knows what it means:
Thank you for answering your messages.
Thank you for not trying to sleep with me.
Thank you for recognising whether I’m in love with you.
Thank you for letting me complain without shrugging and looking away.

Juliette Sebock is a poet and writer born in small-town Pennsylvania.. After several years of journalism and work with sources like Her Campus Media and The Mighty, she turned her focus to poetry, publishing the chapbook Mistakes Were Made in 2017. Currently, Juliette is working on Nightingale & Sparrow Magazine, lifestyle blog For the Sake of Good Taste, and a variety of poetry and prose pieces. When she isn’t writing (and sometimes when she is), she can be found with a cup of coffee and her cat, Fitz.