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Claire Kroening

From Where We Parted (Began Again)

September-spilled memories

hold me to after-hours I hope to forget–
from the brick walls,

the cracked pathways,
and the park by the river;
from the moments lasted,
the mended swing sets,
and the thoughts that linger thereafter;
from the rusted interstate bumpers,
the empty alleys between my fingers,
and the unanswered calls;
from the actions we've mistaken,
the beaming trolley lights,
and the locked stalls;
from the fallen thistles,
the broken arteries,
and the blank pages laying bare;
from the lies told to us,
the shaken pantry-darts,
and clinking of citrus glasses.
September holds me to memories,
vulnerable as cockatoo cages,
that I hope to forget.

Claire Kroening is a queer poet and editor based in Wisconsin. Their work has been published in Honeyfire Lit, Intersections Magazine, Maythorn Magazine, and The Globe Review, among many others. In their free time, they appreciate visiting art museums and studying creative writing. You can access their website at https://clairekroening.com/.

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