"As I Speak of Wonder" by Edward Lee

Two poems by Anna Zgambo

wearing gloom

hell, you’re harder than the last crust
of frozen bread in the freezer—
             i wouldn’t want to warm you.

even a friend’s inferno
will not thaw isolation’s ice—
don’t soften yourself for my sake.

stay stonelike; hardness is edible
if ears are hungrier than hands—
             my auricle craves toast crackling.

the crust will form an afro of frost,
you will wear gloom and grey well,
i’ll hear the crackle of hellfire.

Your Grip

Fire, my pot is your crown
Like the woman who hauled
Away a household on her head,
Parted a path       across grief’s river
Reached the shore sooner than sunrise
Removed the baby from her back
Hid her husband’s name in sand then
Roasted remorse on a cob at the beach—
            But I will boil my bereavement
In a vein bluer than your flame.

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Anna Zgambo is pursuing a PhD in Literature at the University of Zambia with a focus on lyric poetry. Anna is a Mawazo PhD Fellow, Hope Prize Protégé, and Idembeka Creative Writing Fellow. Her poetry appears or is forthcoming in Ubwali Literary Magazine, Akpata Magazine, Obindomagazine, Midway Journal, and elsewhere.

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Edward Lee is an artist and photographer from Ireland. His paintings and photography have been exhibited and published widely, with many pieces in private collections. His website can be found at https://lastimagesphotography.com  
Instagram: @edwardleeart