THE SCARECROW BY Yucheng Tao

The Scarecrow 

I stand against the sky to breathe, 
looking at the birds on the utility pole. 
When the teenager arrives, 
his fists striking my body heavily, 
seeming to be disgusted with school. 
He is the farmer's son, 
helped his father erect me here, 
now his life demands a breath, 

I've become a swaying toy. 
He prefers watching my skin peel off, 
drifting in the wind. 

I lose a scrap of grace, 
becoming dry grass, gradually decaying. 
Living in solitude, 
in the rain, in the snow, in the dark, 
in a state of numbness. 
When the teenager approaches, hitting me, 

I feel my straw limbs stiffen, 
like Blues lose its rhythm. 
My mouth silences the desire to shout, 
but my heart in that place lets out a squeal, 
while the one who jumps out 
is an innocent boy 
hiding inside my body, running through mud 
as childhood. 
The moody teen storms out 
like rebellious youth, hunting for release. 
In the noise of days, 

I stand wordless against the sky to breathe, 
looking at the birds, longing to stand or fly.

Yucheng Tao, originally from China, is a songwriting student based in Los Angeles. His work has been featured in The Lake (UK), Red Ogre Review (UK), Cathexis Northwest Press, NonBinary Review (including an interview), and Ink Nest.
His work often explores sci-fi, gothic, and mythic themes, appearing in genre magazines such as Apocalypse Confidential, and The Arcanist, and his poetry has been frequently featured in Synchronized Chaos, Poetry Potion, Moonstone Art Center, and Wingless Dreamer. Additionally, his work can be found in Spillwords and Literary Yard.