by Yunseo Choi

something sticky and deadly dripped from my hands

---

you came in the middle of blistering summer,
left me sour and stinging in the middle of the gravel road,
trying not to scream at the indifferent night sky.
that summer, i hated the people covered in sticky sweat and soda,
hated the fireworks that popped cherry-sweet in a sea of starless black.
i hated the privilege of nature, its ability to forget and forgive,
envied the scorn of the pedestrians as i stood and melted into the rain.
something sticky and deadly dripped from my hands.
whether it was blood or lemon juice i could never guess,
but whether it was love or hate, it consumed me all the same,
leaving me red-eyed and breathless in the dying throes of summer.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

© Yunseo Choi

---

Kate Yunseo Choi is a poet living in Seoul, South Korea. Her work is published or awaiting publication in Bending Genres Journal, The Weight Journal, and Paper Cranes Literary.

---

Share the love and wonder by making sure to respect the copyrights! Everything we publish belongs to the authors. You can share their texts via the official link. If you quote them, please credit them. If you wish to republish their work, you can always write to us and we will put you in direct contact with them. Supporting creativity starts with respecting those who create, so we thank you in advance for doing your part!