being alive 1
after Ellen Bass
by Sophie Christenberry
the thing is
read the poem to Gianni
the thing is
stand outside her new building in the wet
the thing is
world ends soon
the thing is
arms heavy from the beer and dinner
the thing is
fifty six dollars at the bodega
the thing is
guy behind the counter gives me forks for free
the thing is
reminds me to take them
the thing is
crystal plastic forks
the thing is
floor is hard under me
the thing is
know her forever
the thing is
romance of a movie
the thing is
pizza in her empty apartment
the thing is
cliche
the thing is
know her for ever i swear
the thing is
don’t know the song there’s nothing like it
the thing is
Mic says he loves it too
the thing is
different poem on the subway
the thing is
Tiana Clark in The New Yorker
the thing is
my grandmother’s letter
the thing is
can’t find my grandmother’s letter
the thing is
her vintage penmanship
the thing is
letters lilt forward
the thing is
read her grocery list in death
the thing is
Chloe as a mother
the thing is
the thing is
to love life
the thing is being alive
Sophie Christenberry (she/her) is a poet and waitress from Queens, New York. Her work appears in HAD, Peach Mag, and Dirt Child among others. Her first chapbook, "Shift Notes" was released in August 2023 with Bullshit Lit. In whatever way it can be, her work is for the unqualified liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian people.