The Zingara Project

Tag: North Dakota Quarterly

  • First Day at Sts. Philip and James by John C. Mannone

    Diesel exhaust seeped through the open window.
    Almost made me sick, but my stomach churned
    already from nervousness. My first day in school.

    My blue blazer, brushed free from lint, felt tight
    when I sat on the bus’ green leather seat.
    I didn’t think to unbutton it. But the ride was short.

    The First Grade classroom seemed littered
    with many papers pinned to the walls; an alphabet
    was strung around the room like a party decoration.

    It was scary because I didn’t know what the letters
    meant. I didn’t even know what a letter was,
    but I remember my momma trying to teach me.

    The Sisters of St. Francis wore a thick chord
    fashioned around their waist that dangled down.
    It looked like a whip. I was scared about that, too.

    When I went to the bathroom, I didn’t know
    what to do—I never saw a vertical urinal before,
    only sit-down toilets. When I let my pants fall

    to the floor, the other boys laughed; they laughed
    harder when they saw me pee. I thought
    I did something wrong. I thought the nuns

    were going to spank me with that chord.

    —

    John C. Mannone has work in North Dakota Quarterly, Le Menteur, 2020 Antarctic Poetry Exhibition, and others. He won the Jean Ritchie Fellowship (2017) in Appalachian literature and served as celebrity judge for the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (2018). He edits poetry for Abyss & Apex and others.

  • Then…as Now by KL Frank

    Thought hands a world to you
    separate as a head on a platter.
    But shuffle awhile
    through damp new grass
    and warm wood chips,
    stumble over errant rocks,
    pocket a few illicit pine cones,
    recreate scenes of
    soaked papier-mâché drying,
    skewer miniscule starchy
    sugar lumps on sticks and sear
    over charcoal fires, or
    cook a few squashed
    indecipherable meat patties
    over propane until
    severed images recede.
    Now will become as then
    when right hand and left hand
    were joined at the spine.

    —

    Karin L. Frank’s poems have been published in various literary journals, such as the Rockhurst Review, the Mid-America Poetry Review, the North Dakota Quarterly and New Letters and in various science fiction venues, such as Asimov’s and Tales of the Talisman. No matter the genre, her poems speak women’s voices.