While sitting at the temple

by Meriden Vitale

While sitting at the temple

I’m reading a stirring obituary that ends with a warning. Jane isolated herself from her friends and eventually hung herself from the bookshelf in her apartment. The sister she hated got everything. Write a legally binding will to prevent this. Overheard: she was sharing her vulnerability. She shared her intimacy. It was like multiple orgasms and then she squirted. I’m crying now. The dust is blowing. Influencers are posing but I don’t mind. From dj to dj, I danced all day. I met a wine seller named Patrick from Colorado. He wanted to advise me on my resume. He didn’t get me and his toenails were gross. Now I’m mad at my dad again. Now I’m with the jellyfish. I’m worried about where all the staples will go when we burn the temple down. My soul is howling or is that a real good house beat? Your heart can sense mine from eight feet away. Now I’m pretending to float like them. I’m holding an umbrella above my head with streamers dangling, answering to the wind. It’s really not the same.

Poet Meriden Vitale is a writer and artist interested in found materials. She is the author of the poetry chapbook Ranger Danger. She currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula.

Artist Ian Gonzaga is an artist born and raised in Southern California. He received a BA in Film & Television Studies from Cal State University Fullerton. The majority of his career has been spent living and working in Orange County and Los Angeles. His artwork is deeply influenced and inspired by nature. It is these natural elements and the way in which they interact with philosophy and culture that interest him. He is an explorer of environments, perspectives, and ideas using photographs to express feelings and energies. His work can be found at https://foundwork.art/artists/iangonzaga