Elegy by Aracelis Girmay
“This is the only kingdom. / The kingdom of touching; / the touches of the disappearing, things.” — Aracelis Girmay
Suppose You Were A Moray Eel by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
“Let us wait here in this coral cave and count the number of smelt that swim / by. Let them go, all of them.” — Aimee Nezhukumatathil
“A Mouthful of Salt… / I Came Through Numb Waters” by Charif Shanahan
“How do I move the line when it is buried // in the earth. Why do you think my face / is the face you think you see.” — Charif Shanahan
The Courtesan’s Reply – Tambulasena by Shazea Quraishi
“Water drips down / my back. He grasps the rope / of my hair and climbs.”