Ode to the American Flagfish

by Trinity Richardson

Ode to the American Flagfish

My own bulldog-fish           guarding me           

            from quantifiable vortex-time   (for the time 

                                                                                                being)

24/7 swimmer,            algae eater,      feisty, nipping summer breeder          

Pursed fish-lips press hard      against it         I mean, tall 

                                                                                    glass of water, 

I mean, them’s-fightin’-words reflection

                                   of Liberty Bell    c

                                                                        u

                                                                              r

                                                                                    v

                                                                                           e

                                                                                                        s

Strawberry popping pearl   acid reflux slick oyster-tongue   remembers

    Double O Seven     warm TV static       and the death of Val Kilmer

reflected in the hard-water, aquarium glow line of sight 

               Aquarium pup, aquarium thing     Florida endemic,       born, 

                                                                                                   not raised

Haunting dog,    don’t you know it

                                   Peacock-patterned male dominance?
                                               puh-lease

But I’d know it if I saw it,    probably     hung up                  

                                                                               American-flag banner

patriotic-parasitism     consumer-resource,

                                                                   consumer consumes,   duh

               Boy, I’d like to consume

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Poet Trinity Richardson (they/them) is a non-binary poet and changeling raising an evil cat. They are an editor for West Trade Review and social media manager for Adroit Journal. Their poems can be found in Funicular, Vagabond City Lit, and more. Outside of writing their interests include vintage clown dolls, Magic, magic, claw machines, stories with ambiguous endings, and the fly from Breaking Bad. You can find them on LinkedIn and at trinityrichardson.com.

Artist Chelsea Tikotsky’s (she/her) paintings explore the interplay between forest and field—a metaphor for finding clarity, peace, and light through moments of stillness. Her work moves between landscapes, evoking the quiet mystery of the woods, and florals, reflecting the openness of the fields. Together, they invite viewers to pause, notice, and embrace the fleeting magic in everyday life. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tikotsky holds a B.A. in Studio Art from San Francisco State University and refined her perspective at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. Her work has been showcased across the U.S., including the 2024 PBS KVIE Art Auction (Juror’s Award), and featured in Visionary Art Collective (VAC) and Apricity Magazine (Volume 9, 2025). Her paintings are held in private collections both in the United States and abroad. You can follow her on Instagram @chelseatikotskyart.