Peach Milk by Chimen Kouri
In the backyard, the inflatable pool flattens sprouting dandelions;
I always believed this was nature’s iniquitous motive to further our suffering.
The water above my knees when I stand,
my father scared I will drown like babies left alone in bathtubs.
It was a second. Only a second.
Presume the baby was yanked down the drain by its toes.
I fill my protruding belly with peach milk.
It tastes warm like springtime initiated by Persephone; she explores the marshland
for sheaves of grain, the wet vegetation sinking beneath her feet.
My young mother sunbathes, her skin buttery but soft.
She closes her eyes, allows the overgrown grass to tickle between her toes.
Last night, she prayed and asked Jesus for a sign if our life would get better.
Then she dreamed of picking flowers in a meadow, each one a different color.
When she opens her eyes, I’m gone; I’m running to the marshland,
the peach milk sloshing in my stomach, refusing to absorb.
I always believed this was nature’s iniquitous motive to further our suffering.
The water above my knees when I stand,
my father scared I will drown like babies left alone in bathtubs.
It was a second. Only a second.
Presume the baby was yanked down the drain by its toes.
I fill my protruding belly with peach milk.
It tastes warm like springtime initiated by Persephone; she explores the marshland
for sheaves of grain, the wet vegetation sinking beneath her feet.
My young mother sunbathes, her skin buttery but soft.
She closes her eyes, allows the overgrown grass to tickle between her toes.
Last night, she prayed and asked Jesus for a sign if our life would get better.
Then she dreamed of picking flowers in a meadow, each one a different color.
When she opens her eyes, I’m gone; I’m running to the marshland,
the peach milk sloshing in my stomach, refusing to absorb.
Chimen Kouri is a writer based in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey. She has been published in Goat's Milk Magazine, The Luna Collective, Zanna Magazine, and among others. She is currently editing her chapbook, Peach Milk, and hopes to have it published by 2022. You can find her at @chimenkouri
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