Author Archives: Alex J.J

11/25/17 she was lovely I-miss-you post-it notes and letters, a hundred missed messages, phone calls and emails. all over the walls, she left them placed them stitched them into a red scarf she will never wear. 12/9/17 The notes are gone and the house a catacomb she wanders in the night. found her once feltContinue reading “Notes of my mother”

Last week, when I came downstairs, my bags all packed for winter break, I saw my mother sitting in one of the teal swivel chairs in the lounge. Her legs were crossed and her face still as the snow clinging to the edge of those big windows. “I’m ready to go.” She didn’t respond. SheContinue reading “Winter 2017 North Dormitory”

When you enter – Here in the red flash of a dream Awe – cannot escape

Why are all my words dressed like immigrants? I ask the little girl trapped in a photograph. Plaid red pants. Two sizes too small for her. Seagulls fleeing from a burnt sienna sky. Grandpa’s hat drooped over her slanted eyes. Where are you? I ask the older woman, missing from all the other photographs theContinue reading “Photograph by the sink”

The backyard flooded again todaySo the oak tree wept brown leaves. I let the dog out to shit.Shes blind so she walks slow.Nails curled inher bones feel like broken chopsticksin my hands.I hate the thought of splinters. This is the first time I’ve seen tulips wilt.Though I’ve never once been homelong enough to see oneContinue reading “Bright”

I don’t remember how this poem started, after I wrote it I erased it out of an overwhelming – feeling that I knew what my uncle meant when he said, “I fucking hate black people.” As I gaze out his messed up tinted 2006 Honda Civic window A bag of nuts sitting where the radioContinue reading “trying to remember an old conversation with an uncle”

안녕 I am 9 years old again. I hand my neighbor and best friend my first bike. I couldn’t take it with me in the car. Colton and his brother (blurred face – what was his name?) looked at me between the half open door. I could see something like a half smile on theirContinue reading “안녕”

in an empty roadbetween fields of tall white grassthe roof of a car is on firelike a candle flickering in irises. a small hand tugs on the handle over and overtugging pull, pull, pull, pull.the door enjambed his mouthlike a birdcaught in barbed wire;there is no sound, but the mouthwide openas if to speakin theContinue reading “Wide Open”

08/26/2019I leave my hand openpalm upin the backseat of a taxi.I place my flannel shirt over my hand,like a magician,like last timein the backseat of your car.Except there is no magic trickto bring your hand into mine again. I leave my hand there anyways,openpalm upwaiting for magic