YOUR HEART STOPPED by Joanna C. Valente

Your Heart Stopped

hush · issue 3

Inside a cave made
of ice is a fire
crackling time bluish—

 

the only now is
the time

we barely had.


Underneath is
a river
running away—
butterflies in back


ward pain slicing
wings absently.

Which weekend
is it now and with
who?

 

I touch your back
to rid open of the
poison sleeping in
your bones.

 

It is not enough
to keep you

from falling
into the river through

 

a hole we forgot
to plug.

 

It is quiet now.
I still feel you.

Sometimes I talk


to you in whispers
so no one else hears.

It is vacant here
like space.

 

I like to believe
you are listening,
half-angel,

 

misguided into
empty light.

Joanna C. Valente

Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York, although originally from the rings of Saturn. Joanna is the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Xenos, Sexting Ghosts, No(body), and A Love Story (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, 2021). They are the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing By Survivors of Sexual Assault and the illustrator of Dead Tongue, a poetry collection by Bunkong Tuon as well as Raven King, a poetry collection by Fox Henry Frazier (Yes Poetry, 2021). Joanna received a MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Currently, Joanna is the founder of Yes, Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine.