I catalog beauty, collect it
like stones in a river
gathered together, letting the rush
of water smooth their course edges.
I hope the red-flamed maple,
or the burgundy of my tired lips
will soothe the ache of whatever
seems to be missing today.
I want some autumn-soaked
mercy to soothe my kaleidoscope
madness, the other Gemini twin,
the black swan in the mind’s dark lake.
I try to catch nature’s brisk tide dancing
in the wind and ride it to the next place
becoming a version of myself
that resists less and opens more.
Just in case
I’m not really made of bones.
Brooke Lehmann holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. She is an emerging writer after recovering from chronic illness, and sees poetry as a form of engineering meaning from words. She has forthcoming poetry to be published in the next issue of Black Fox Magazine. She lives in Seattle, WA where she freelances as a fashion model and consultant. She lived in North Carolina for 10 years and remains connected to the Literary Center in Charlotte. She had the chance to study with poet Terrance Hayes in 2019 as a sponsor of the Beautiful Truth event through CharlotteLIT, which was aimed at providing free community writing programs in Charlotte, NC.
São Paulo based artist Bianca Rivetti Burattini developed her art skills through the last several years. Self-taught, the artist is actually an architect and urbanist and incorporates the knowledge acquired into her art, blending both experiences. The artist works with a variety of mediums, from ink and graphite work to watercolours and acrylic paint, looking to diversify her artistic vision and the range of her work. Illustration is a driving force through which the artist expresses herself and explores the limits of her art, through which she creates bold, colourful and detailed pieces.