Petition by Brett Elizabeth Jenkins
Give me a god who wears
acid-washed jeans &
hasn’t washed his hair
in a week. I want a god
who’s lactose intolerant,
who has shit her pants
in the check-out line
of a Target. Give me
an unruly god, a jaywalking
god, a god who writes fanfic.
Send down your hungover
god making her way
through emotionally
devastating lunches
with family.
A god who speeds
all the way up at yellow lights
& forgets to renew
the vehicle registration tabs
on his Honda Civic.
A salty god. An anxious god.
A desperate god. Give me
a god who’s unafraid
to be heard singing
in public bathrooms. Send me
your especially allergy-
prone god & your god
with ADHD, who forgets
his keys at gas station counters.
A god with her head
in the clouds, a crown
made of dandelions.
acid-washed jeans &
hasn’t washed his hair
in a week. I want a god
who’s lactose intolerant,
who has shit her pants
in the check-out line
of a Target. Give me
an unruly god, a jaywalking
god, a god who writes fanfic.
Send down your hungover
god making her way
through emotionally
devastating lunches
with family.
A god who speeds
all the way up at yellow lights
& forgets to renew
the vehicle registration tabs
on his Honda Civic.
A salty god. An anxious god.
A desperate god. Give me
a god who’s unafraid
to be heard singing
in public bathrooms. Send me
your especially allergy-
prone god & your god
with ADHD, who forgets
his keys at gas station counters.
A god with her head
in the clouds, a crown
made of dandelions.
Brett Elizabeth Jenkins lives and writes in Minneapolis. Look for her work in The Sun, AGNI, Beloit Poetry Journal, Mid-American Review, and elsewhere.
Michelle McElroy is a native New Englander who studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has worked at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Skinner Auction House and Historic New England. Interested by how light and shadow can transform everyday scenes are constant inspiration. These are images that she may see on early morning runs, midnight snacks in the kitchen or simple observations of everyday scenes that people can connect with or create a narrative of their own. Michelle’s work has been accepted into various juried shows in galleries around the United States and actively shows at local venues, such as libraries and cafes. She is a member of the Cambridge Art Association, Edward Hopper House, and Center for the Arts in New London, New Hampshire. Michelle lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two cats. Instagram: @michellemcelroyart Website: michellemcelroy.com