THREE POEMS by ROSALINDA VALERI

I WROTE SOME LINES OVER CHRISTMAS BECAUSE I SAW THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOMING, AND THAT WAS WEIRD - I DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SPRING

i got my heart broken at the end of spring which

rendered summer useless

i shlepped it away, the heat oppressive and unwaning -

my time occupied and my mind idle

i moved for the third time in three years and

celebrated a birthday in quiet crisis

fall shouldered its way in sneakily, bidding adieu

when the ginkgo leaves finally fell - yellowed

december, long and teasing, meandering,

wet and stale all at once - still now

on christmas eve i walked past

cherry blossoms blooming

christmas felt like any other day except

i was alone and the streets were left quiet

it’s a purgatorial time of year this is,

time for musing and languishing

not much work gets done in december, the end

much like a waiting game

do you remember when it used to snow?


let me b ur Perfect Girl

in my perfect miniskirt, pain

etched on my face, waiting, i think:

i could b ur Perfect Girl

with tanned smooth legs

and a passive smile. perfect

like plums in august:

juicy, dark, and ripe running

down your chin.

I FEEL CLOSEST TO GODLINESS WHEN I AM HIGH

MINCING GARLIC AND I AM DOING

SUCH A GOOD JOB

i want to text you things like,

“i don’t think i like david lynch.”

i could b ur Perfect Girl;

two hands clutching

a big mac, body draped in vintage dior.

in my dreams we take the train to the beach;

cool girl can’t drive though she loves to go fast.

i feel closest to godliness with my head

in your lap and i am doing

such a good job


i can’t be real in a restaurant

tell me, why are we

splitting hairs over small plates

my face is hot, my hands hotter.

what are you thinking?

don’t be crass, i cower.

i can’t be real in a restaurant

i have stage fright -

close your eyes, something’s wrong

with me... my heart. how

can i let a man know me

when the date ends in a restaurant

at a hightop

on the sidewalk, waiting for two cars

what are you thinking?

come back to mine

i open there


Rosalinda Valeri (they/she) is a 24-year-old living in Philadelphia, where they can be found working in the vintage scene. When they aren’t working, Rosa enjoys writing, thrifting, expensive food and cocktails, and the sun when available. Their work has appeared in The Gandy Dancer and in the Columbia Journal. You can reach them via Instagram or Twitter at @rososus.

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THREE POEMS by NAT RAUM

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THREE POEMS by SIOBHAN HART