Blasphemy Baby by K. Mobley
“I want to learn closure the way / a door knows it, loud and with purpose.” — K. Mobley
For My Brother by Natasha Rao
“Whenever / heads touched, our / dreams were related / by blood. / It all was a kind of magic / then.” — Natasha Rao
Ode to Peeling an Orange by Dominique Ahkong
“When she sucked juice from her cuts, // that, too was comfort. Nothing was wasted, // of course.” — Dominique Ahkong
Evening by Kuhu Joshi
“On the bridge, people are carried / in the body of a train, nodding like peonies.” — Kuhu Joshi
Grievances by Sophie Zhu
“Ghosts of a womb / tuck the air in guilt, // our throats heavy / with apology.” — Sophie Zhu
Telemachus’ Detachment by Louise Glück
“Now I think / heartbreaking, but also / insane.” — Louise Glück