Temperatures

Leopoldine Core

The hand is the second

face, she said.

The sand was the

reason. The rocks were the

reason. The ocean was the

reason.

I had this idea

that every

moment lives forever

The moon was the

reason. The stars were

the reason. The

galaxy was the reason.

It was Sunday

inside. It was

blue and transparent

It was not captured

but a wave sound, it

reminded me of

The back of that head

covered with hair

was marked with thoughts

The sun turned the

grey earth into

a shaking garden.

Leopoldine Core is the author of the poetry collection Veronica Bench and the story collection When Watched, which won a Whiting Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award.
Originally published:
September 18, 2023

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