"Portal I" by Eva Dominelli
/näˈstaljə, nəˈstaljə/ by Caitlin Conlon
1. a toy boat is suspended in the middle of the ocean and doesn’t know how it got there
because it is made of plastic and plastic does not think about those types of things.
remembering how to call home will never be enough to save you. plastic knows this,
more or less, does not waste time on the sentimentality of numbers. it floats.
2. a phone number that’s been out of service for months continues to be called because
the operator’s pre-recorded message has become comforting to the caller who lives
alone and hasn’t touched themselves in years
3. i walk into a coffee shop that i only frequent because of the probability that you’ll
walk into it which is small, but not minuscule. i order something that you would like
even though it’s much too sweet for my tongue. i drink all of it and lick the straw for
good measure. i go home and want to die but only a little bit, not enough to ruin my
night. i am thankful for having known such sugar. i have a dream and you’re there, but
barely.
4. an ache that opens into you. like a mouth, or a room.
because it is made of plastic and plastic does not think about those types of things.
remembering how to call home will never be enough to save you. plastic knows this,
more or less, does not waste time on the sentimentality of numbers. it floats.
2. a phone number that’s been out of service for months continues to be called because
the operator’s pre-recorded message has become comforting to the caller who lives
alone and hasn’t touched themselves in years
3. i walk into a coffee shop that i only frequent because of the probability that you’ll
walk into it which is small, but not minuscule. i order something that you would like
even though it’s much too sweet for my tongue. i drink all of it and lick the straw for
good measure. i go home and want to die but only a little bit, not enough to ruin my
night. i am thankful for having known such sugar. i have a dream and you’re there, but
barely.
4. an ache that opens into you. like a mouth, or a room.
Caitlin Conlon (she/her) is 20 year old Leo with a heart made of words, a recent graduate from the University at Buffalo with a BA in English and a Creative Writing Certificate. Caitlin has previously been published by Thought Catalog, Bottlecap Press, Germ Magazine, and Tongue Tied Mag.
Eva Dominelli is a Vancouver artist and freelance Illustrator with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Her mysterious gouache and ink illustrations playfully investigate the relationship between the private and the public experience of the everyday. She is currently working on her upcoming artist’s book Between Being & Nothingness.
You can view more of her work at evadominelli.com, on facebook @evadominelliillustration or on instagram @eva.avenue.
You can view more of her work at evadominelli.com, on facebook @evadominelliillustration or on instagram @eva.avenue.
