Editor’s Note
These submissions were submitted as a pair in response to our 2023 ekphrastic initiative.
Artwork by Vikram Raj.
FOOTNOTES FROM LOVE
I peel the tangerines for you and me.
He cuts the weeds growing in our garden.
And by him, I am known.
Love is that he sets the table for two.
In a godless world, he is my religion;
This is how it feels to be ripped open and still breathing.
In the dead of night, his love screams for me.
There is a cruelty inside me only you know how to tame.
I would repent for all eternity.
I do not believe in love — he is my fate.
In his laugh, I find the map back to my childhood.
He lives for me and I write for him.
What should I breathe for if not for you?
Watch as he kills me: our hands on the knife.
“Virginia Is For Lovers”
And for once, life can be easy.
And for once, it is enough.
All this grief brought me to you.
Vikram Raj is a sophomore from New York, majoring in advertising at Penn State University Park. He has been writing poetry since middle school and has been published in his hometown’s local poetry publication. A hard worker at heart, Vikram is an avid academic and actively involved across many student-run organizations on campus. In his spare time, he enjoys journaling, long walks, sketching, watching movies, and working out.