Current Poetry

Jess Roses

you have a man now. the times have changed

for us.

mine has gone back to the alleyways,

slinking with malintent.

we tied red threads (with intention!)

a Chinese finger trap

a steel backbone against the revisions of time.

men come, and they go, our red knotted net

fills up with them and we

take our pick.

you are (always) my red woman. no matter the men that

come

or go, no matter

the great states of our nation pulling this love

into a puzzle of borders

and highway lines.

bleeding fly amanita and white cap

where the lines meet

growth and death are the same here – […]

Griffin Elliot

Bury me

In Pere Lachaise

With my sunglasses on

So my grave will read

“He lays as he lived:

Cool and collected.”

And between the tombs

While leaves fall

And flowers wilt

My bones will become

Part of the

Moveable Feast

About the Author

Griffin Elliot is 30 years old. He lives happily in New Jersey with his wife, dog, and cat. Griffin is currently writing his master’s thesis on U.S.-China economic relations for NYU’s GSAS International Relations program. In his spare time, he manages tours for rock bands.

Instagram: @griffinjelliot

Twitter: […]

Griffin Elliot

cOttON

    SW     A   BS

Floating through

THE

SKY

Black tar roof shingles

Break orderly atop

             CLEAN GROUT RED

                 BRICK HOUSES.

S

UN

RA

YS

LE

AV

ESHADOWSONTHEDECK.

Lovely morning.

By       Griffin

Elliot

About the Author

Griffin Elliot is 30 years old. He lives happily in New Jersey with his wife, dog, and cat. Griffin is currently writing his master’s thesis on […]

GB

This was not worth coming out in the rain.

You tell me about your work as an attorney, defending investment banks and hedge funds.

From whom?

The government.

Oh, right.

I want to break the lip of the wine glass between my teeth just to have something to do.

You soft man, with your voice too hard to hear in this hot bar, and your constant allusions to being too old to have fun:

Have you ever bitten into a rare steak and sucked the juice through your teeth […]

Donna J. Gelagotis Lee

Feeble dogs are licking my name

in the dirt. They are taking on

personas. I feel a bark rising

in my throat. I sense a pack / pact

mentality. I want to stalk and

circle, cower, and whimper. I want

to chase and pull with my teeth.

I want to lick myself, smell my own

cleanliness, smell others and tell of their

intentions. If I come up to you and nip,

will you kick / kiss me? Will you yell /

yelp? I feel my hairs matted down, my

tail / tale starting to wag. I don’t lag /

lack ambition, […]

Aida Bardissi

(iii) عودة

عودة إلى الحب // return to love

i am a passport; a blood orange. i want to sit in your back pocket; an imminent stain;

let’s make up (out) a border & call it a nation — PEEL ME OPEN

ya 7obbi, let the pith of me perfume your skin; Andalusian ancestor;

i want to exist with you in a time before bodies knew flight; knew paper 

knew knew knew how to eat                   […]