by Izze Goldberg
it’s almost midnight and i’m thinking about god
it’s almost midnight and i’m thinking
about god with my crooked knees
kneeling bruised raw numbly asking
for forgiveness.
my dad reminds me i’m a sinner
my unanswered prayers remind me i always will be
words echoing in my water-logged mouth
Father falling flat
Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.
i wish there was some way to reach you.
my hands clasping around nothingness
grasping for an ear that isn’t there
probably slumped on the sofa
beside his bottle of guinness.
maybe i’m doing it all wrong.
i memorized each psalm
each bead on the rosary
recited prayers until my throat clogs
Body of Christ, save me.
let me be someone who can be pure
i’m swallowing the spit behind my teeth
in an attempt to breathe again
not even water can soothe me.
it’s almost midnight and i’m thinking
about the first girl i kissed
sitting on my bed under fairy lights
with my dad downstairs.
her blue eyes as pools of water
my empty cupped hands ready
to drink from her.
i never felt salvation until now
my hands reach my lips
i sip then swallow
Poet Izze Goldberg is a poet from North Carolina currently studying Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She writes poetry to capture and represent the significance of smaller moments in life, especially those she has personally experienced. For more of her work, follow her on Instagram @izzegoldberg.
Artist Adeline Jackson is a painter and writer at the University of Southern California. At the age of 22, Jackson embarked on a journey to encapsulate the ineffable beauty and complexity of the human experience.
Gulf Stream Magazine 