The Courtesan’s Reply – Tambulasena by Shazea Quraishi
“Water drips down / my back. He grasps the rope / of my hair and climbs.”
After Touching You, I Think of Narcissus Drowning by Leila Chatti
"Enter any body / of water and you give yourself up / to be swallowed."
Slow Dance by the Ocean by Linda Gregg
"The world moves, my Lord, and I stay still, / yielding as it passes through."
Leaf by Seán Hewitt
"For woods are forms of grief / grown from the earth. For they creak / with the weight of it."
Performance After the End of the World by Talin Tahajian
"I’ve never been good / at caring very much about language except / when it matters the most."
How to Begin by Catherine Abbey Hodges
"Step into your ribcage. // Feel the draft of your heart's doors / as they open and close."
Instructions for the Journey by Pat Schneider
"It’s easy to lose this tenderly / unfolding moment. Look for it / as if it were the first green blade / after a long winter."
The Talk by Sharon Olds
"She took it and took it and broke, crying out / I hate being a person! diving / into the mother / as if / into / a deep pond
what they did yesterday afternoon by Warsan Shire
"later that night / i held an atlas in my lap / ran my fingers across the whole world / and whispered / where does it hurt?"