and here I am, hoping for a break-
through as I whistle for the attention of mice.
the moon pretty though. I can only see one side
of it but I’m lackluster in comparison now that
I’ve lost a shoe. ignore the trail I left behind.
somebody might need that foot later.
a pendulum swung an ear to my corner
and would you believe the noise we shared
was counterfeit? I’m so lost now. in the comics I
read there’s no sound effect for wounds closing.
all I know is the waiting. or to run. when I go do
the wings flapping where a blade kissed cease? or does
the afterlife have a suburb where pumpkins crash too?

Joshua Merchant

Joshua Merchant is a native of East Oakland exploring what it means to be human. A lot of what they explore is in the realm of love and what it means while processing trauma, loss, heartbreak. They feel as though as a people, especially those of us more marginalized than others, it has become too common to deny access to our true source of power as a means of feeling powerful. However, they’ve come to recognize with harsh lessons and divine grace that without showing up for ourselves and each other, everything else is null and void. You can find their work in Anvil Tongue, Spiritus Mundi Review, Rigorous Mag, and elsewhere.