5 / Wands // The Devil
This poem by Margaryta Golovchenko, speaks to a purple that is not just purple and wishes to speak without being named. Her formatting and technical choices create a tender, lavish ambience. We’re so excited to pair this poem with “Ice Storm”, a photograph by Martina Bellisario published in AV 139.2.
There is too much
purple / not just the colour / the congested emotion
like a plum or a bruise / slight variation
based on lighting and volume / (sound of opposing force) /
that comes with a price based on richness / (saturation,
vocabulary, saturation of vocabulary) / the look of hunger
or fear / (fear of admitting vulnerability or defending it
is also a hunger)
Close your eyes.
Imagine another colour
that refuses naming but is determined to speak.
How infuriating to watch an extraneous piece
befriend the abyss.
Ice Storm
Visual by Martina Bellisario
the look of hunger / or fear / (fear of admitting vulnerability or defending it / is also a hunger).
Margaryta Golovchenko
is an undergrad student at the University of Toronto, an editor for Poached Hare, and a book reviewer for Alternating Current. Her work has appeared in publications such as Acta Victoriana, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, Contemporary Verse 2, Metatron, and others. She is also the author of two poetry chapbooks. You can most often find her sharing her (mis)adventures on Twitter @Margaryta505.
Martina Bellisario
recently received her MA in English Literature from U of T. She has written for The New York Times and the Financial Times. She currently lives in Toronto, where she still takes too many iPhone photos of her parents’ solarium. She can be found on instagram @martinabell.
