Take a slice for later

Sacred fruit

boston by Aaron Smith

The all-night convenience store’s empty and no one is behind the counter. You open and shut the glass door a few times causing a bell to go off, but no one appears. You only came to buy a pack of cigarettes, maybe a copy of yesterday’s newspaper— finally you take one and leave thirty-five cents in its place. It is freezing, but it is a good thing to step outside again: you can feel less alone in the night, with lights on here and there between the dark buildings and trees. Your own among them, somewhere. There must be thousands of people in this city who are dying to welcome you into their small bolted rooms, to sit you down and tell you what has happened to their lives. And the night smells like snow. Walking home for a moment you almost believe you could start again. And an intense love rushes to your heart, and hope. It’s unendurable, unendurable.

— Bob Hicok, “Life,” in Elegy Owed

self reflection so I can remember myself into the new year

really enjoy this poem, Sunshine Savings Time by Ayoka Stewart, who was 18 at the time of publication. from my words consume me, an anthology of youth speaks poets (2003)

good bones by maggie smith saturday . give it up for good bones by maggie smith saturday