thinking of guardians and magic
you have asked me what my center is
you were grounded in adventure, of sailing ships
and I was grounded in story, entire worlds and oceans
your future was tucked away in golden horizons
and mine was buried in the earth and hidden in cupboards.
as casually contained as these stories were, the cinema
colored our everyday language, became our shorthand
from the hearts wrenched and put in boxes
to the electrified darkness of pitch black
to the softness of mountains and amber fields
to the romance of a fairy tale lost in new york city
to the dystopia of giant animals and burrowed people
not to mention the resistance of pirates, thieves, and beggars
and the wholesome sweetness of enchanted bugs and a giant peach
and one day while I sat cross-legged on the carpet
you looked at me and said you’ll miss my muchness
and I knew exactly what that meant.
Ellen Huang (she/her) is an aro/ace 2nd generation Taiwanese American who writes poetry, cinema-inspired progressive devotionals, fairytale/folklore twists, and horror comedy. She is published in 80+ places such as Lanke Review, Tealight Press, Ghost City, miniskirt magazine, the aurora journal, horse egg, Vamp Cat, and Sword & Kettle Press, among others. She holds a BA in Writing + Theatre minor from Point Loma Nazarene University and reads for Whale Road Review. She also runs a blog where she explores the spirituality of favorite movies: worrydollsandfloatinglights.wordpress.com. She lives in San Diego with her pan roommate, where they may or may not enjoy scary stories in the dark.
Featured art by Christine Raganit