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.