by Emily Dolan
post-bloom magnolias sprint past the windows
in flashes of green & bark, sun & shade mosaics;
red-stemmed wineberry bushes wait patiently for their
turn while the rosy azaleas rise in waves propagated
by our car’s slipstream; I just haven’t been feeling
great, I say; I’ve been feeling down in the dumps too,
she says, then waits to hear her echo; nothing; I feel tired
and sad but the flowers are pretty, she observes; I know
the flowers are pretty but they’re also gray and two
dimensional; no echo; Let’s take a walk through the azaleas,
she says; taking walks has never helped much; You have
to want to help yourself; I do, I say, just not in seas of
grey and two dimensional azaleas; the wineberries
grow impatient for their bloom, but the magnolias
scold them; don’t wish for something fleeting
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Dolan (she/her) is a poet, novelist, and photographer from Wilmington, DE. After completing her biology degree in 2016, she moved to Europe to pursue a professional soccer career. She currently lives and plays in Sevilla, Spain. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Northern Virginia Review, Circle Show, and Coffin Bell, among others. She can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @emilyGK19.
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