National Poetry Month : Julie Paul,

 

Lacrimal Report, 2025

 

Lodged in my chest
like a paid-for Mirage Bar,
my tears won’t leave the machine

They grow wings, legs, antennae
but do not fly off – a hatch
of sand flies trapped in a box     

They wait     like milk    for the let-down trigger –
what baby?   ten thousand babies
why tears?     ten thousand whys

Still mirage, my tears
aspire to future oasis; one day
they’ll cross borders, flood nations              

They work hard on their Scouting badges:
Collector, Water-Saver,
Self-Preservation   

My tears are tiny shards of ice
but not for long: like Mother, they’ll melt
and leave only rag and bone.

              

 

 

 

Julie Paul has recently moved to Montreal from Victoria BC. She's published three books of short fiction and two poetry collections, most recently Whiny Baby (MQUP 2024). When she's not writing, she works as a Registered Massage Therapist.