by Stephanie Valente
The Pontiac
in this universe,
the guitars are lost
skulking under bed sheets
watching rain fall
through a window
in this universe,
we take turns
driving
(almost) endlessly
i love the car
i love the privacy
urgent intimacy
in this universe
you’ll tell me
everything
i’ll learn half-truths
we’ll never get tired
I Came Here to Be Alone
baby, i think of you
like Coca-Cola chilling in the fridge
so fondly, like a childhood video game
mazes, swords, ghosts, hidden coins
a piece of our story is stuck
in a labyrinth, but
i was never a princess,
i just wanted to wash up on a shore
beach glass under my toes
Coca-Cola on my lips
somewhere, i dream
getting high with you,
i think & stay red,
i drank your Coca-Cola
keep your empty Parliament boxes
let’s borrow a Cadillac,
drive to nowhere,
i’ll be your favorite sad girl.
Lavender Diamonds
you can find me
w/ long nails
pocketing light stones
if our story didn’t hurt,
would it be worth retelling?
darling, i don’t want
an answer from you
your voice isn’t worth salt
besides, i cast the first gem
into our fire
purple, veined, bored
i’m changing into a fox
my ears are twitching,
can’t you tell?
Modrocker
usually you come around at night,
in a dwarf star, almost dreamy
maybe on a motorcycle, in a denim jacket,
with a syrup voice, but cigarette free –
i’ll give you my body (it’s better than jesus)
if only, or if maybe, you’ll call me beautiful.
i’ll give you blood, if you linger in my door frame
my lamp cascades the best light, if you stand there.
Stephanie Valente
Stephanie Valente lives in Brooklyn, NY. She has published Hotel Ghost (Bottlecap Press, 2015) and waiting for the end of the world (Bottlecap Press, 2017) and has work included in Susan, TL;DR, and Cosmonauts Avenue. Sometimes, she feels human.
Artist: Nasya Pereira