lower, lowest east
Joyce Safdiah
walk down a street where everyone is slumped over
gallery girl watches from her perch watches art we wouldn't buy even if we could afford to
a 200 dollar perfume ad reflected in a window
puts the face of a model on the woman
stacking steel chairs at the bagel shop her sneakers sandy with poppy seeds
someone dragged a couch at delancey essex to lie your head clean dry warm
200 lit candles on the stoop of the bodega send a prayer
the flames lick at my legs it’s too damn hot for christmas
that’s why everyone is somewhere else even when they’re here
do you think the warmth is
reflected to heaven ?
Joyce Safdiah is a poet and student at SUNY Purchase where she is majoring in Hanging Out and Being Herself. Her writing can be found in Moral Crema, Anti Heroin Chic and Submissions Magazine. She has been compared to Hannah Horvath (derogatorily) on more than one occasion.