By Casey Kendle

Summer is full of lust and
I am full of grief. My body aches,
still not used to the pain

it now has to carry. The world
feels heavy, and regret trudges
alongside me on the scorching asphalt.
My mother will ask me what’s wrong

and I’ll smile, unwilling to share
the burden of my boyfriend’s love.
At night I open my windows,
close my eyes and sit in the

thick, humid air with a blanket
wrapped around me—
I pretend that if I don’t move,
nothing will ever hurt me again.

Biographical Statement: Casey Kendle is an up and coming poet who’s from Virginia. They were born in rural China, and brought to Virginia at a young age, and have stayed there ever since. Their work was published in Pwatem, as well as in several fanzines.

Artist’s Statement: “The Cicadas Cry” is a poem I hold dear to my heart, and is about struggling to accept the cards you’re given in life.