Issue 09
poetry
“Five”
by Kozbi Simmons
“Solitude” by Ansh Tripathi
Wood paneling and caramel-colored cologne bottles.
Dust motes defying gravity.
Light peeking in the shade cracks,
teasing from outside of here.
And the bed—The Bed—yellowing, stained.
A swaddle of filth.
Bristling, dank hair.
Is it still called whisker burn if it doesn’t come from the face?
closeyoureyes
Finally,
always,
a green gummy bear.
*
Kozbi Simmons has a memoir in progress about mental illness, abuse, body, and gender. She will complete an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in December 2022. Other work has been published in Lit Hub and Assay. Kozbi has been an English teacher in Baltimore city for 15 years.
Ansh Tripathi is an aspiring photographer and poet who wrote poems after struggling with his mental health. He continues to indulge in photography and poetry in an attempt to help himself and reduce the stigma behind talking about mental health. He wishes to normalize the subject further by taking thought-provoking photos while also writing short forms about mental health and the daily struggles and experiences that come with it. His other work can be found at https://anshtripathi07.github.io/.