by Nicholas Brown
Six Months Married
someone
dug out
a role
in your
body deep
I am
still
shoveling
my extra
parts
out
to
fill you
my
best
Roadside
idle rows ringing slots opposite
I watch men bowling cigarettes clenched
___________________________________whats your name
it neednt matter
Casey if I remember Jamie maybe with a family
in a corner apartment somewhere awfully busy
only passing through wont be here long
yeah stopped for a drink a game or two
in the basement pumping and cracking
billiard balls I curl into a corner pocket
stripes or solids
___________________________________forgot by now
they say there is no shame at all no shame
in a body hollowing the snapping of another body
if you find yourself thinking about it even if sometimes
yeah if you come back here all the time you know I know
Nicholas Brown is a first-generation Mexican American. He was awarded the Agha Shahid Ali Scholarship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown to attend a workshop with Gregory Pardlo and is a finalist for the 2017 Tin House Summer Poetry Scholarship. His poetry appears, or is forthcoming, in 45th Parallel and After the Pause. He works as a technical writer.
Art by featured artist Sirena Hildebrand.
Monsters and Lace was created by Sirena the Mermaid and Chris the Troll. They live in Lancaster, PA, with their many plant children, such as Mary the Mint and Bert the Dracaena. On any given day, you might find them romping through the forest, toting reflectors, camera gear, smoke grenades, and who knows what other props. The aim, is to tell a story via pictures, whether it be a hard road a friend has travelled, or a light hearted children’s tale. To view the world through a lens is a beautiful thing! To capture someone’s soul within a photo is a hard task, but one they aim to master.