holding

Issue 9

the monarch is fluttering
the heron is gliding
the water is rippling
 
life is but an inhale
i did not realize
i was
holding
 
hardship will resume tomorrow
time will spread me like a jam again
i cannot predict the tears that may arrive
the test results –
the killings –
the outcomes –
if my heart will ache –
or break –
or bend –
 
so for today
i will look for
the monarch on its flutter
the heron on its glide
the ripples on the water
 
and breathe out through my nose.

---

RIEL FUQUA won 1st Place of the Poetry Writing Contest. They are a creative artist of many trades, each of them centering around the communicative art of storytelling. Much of Riel’s work focuses on the mosaic of experiences they have had as a Black, queer person residing in the deep south, including navigating interpersonal relationships, sentiments both big and small, childhood memories, the nostalgia for a reality before COVID-19, and the zest of Black, non-binary joy.

---