By JJ Peña
when i think of dying, icarus comes to mind: a winged angel comet-ing
from the sky in a triple helix, unable to move or stop his descent. just
the weight of gravity pulling, pushing him to the ground. disorienting
fast & heavy. & then the impact, plop! water spilling into a tub. that’s
what i think you felt when you put a bag over your face & started
inhaling. each air-empty moment, a fast skydive.
JJ Peña is a queer, burrito-blooded writer, living & existing in El Paso, Tx. His work appears in, or is forthcoming from Passages North, Split Lip, Into the Void, Hayden’s Ferry, & elsewhere. He has an MFA from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Art by Michelle Johnsen, art editor
Michelle Johnsen is a nature and portrait photographer in Lancaster, PA, as well as an amateur herbalist and naturalist. Her work has been featured by It’s Modern Art, Susquehanna Style magazine, Permaculture Activist magazine, EcoWatch.com, EarthFirst! Journal, Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, and used as album art for Grandma Shake!, Anna & Elizabeth, and Liz Fulmer Music. Michelle’s photos have also been stolen by AP, weather.com, The Daily Mail, and Lancaster Newspapers. You can contact her at mjphoto717 [at] gmail.com.