Two poems
radiant afterstorm
the sun lit us up I’d say
later
a lie
our house flushed out
by shingle, by sliver—
we sat in the bathtub afloat in the yard
innards of—
the clouds over and over us exhaled—
canning season
we followed the directions to a T,
crossed ourselves, crossed our fingers,
minding the fine margin
between
what keeps
and what rots.
even careful seals
are permeable
to winter’s creep—
the pipes, the beans,
tucked sheets around you
and me—
but the peaches keep.
your June birthday—
with as many jars as we could carry—
we flattened out on a rock
by the river,
we loosened the lids.
the sun was flush.
the syrup ran all over us,
dripped off our elbows,
your chin,
my throat—
we ate the whole afternoon.
Art by Ludovica De Gaudenzi
Ludovica, aka troiscentdanses, is a 23-year-old Italian. She studies architecture in Brussels and has loved drawing since she was a kid. She started posting her art on Instagram about a year ago, which has now become a huge part of her life – as she says: ‘I get to do something I love and share it with people.’ Instagram @troiscentdanses | Facebook.com/troiscentdanses
Leah Nieboer recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee, graduated from the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers, and received a VCCA fellowship. You can find her on Craigslist.