Warm up your February with Flutter: southern gothic fever dream by Kristin Garth, illustrated by Mathew Yates, now available from TwistiT Press. In Flutter, Garth’s annotated sonnets tell the story of Sylvia Dandridge, bed-ridden with scarlet fever in 1883 Pensacola. As the fever progresses, Sylvia becomes drawn into the otherworldly side of her parents’ estate, where dreams and reality fuse. Read More
Tag: sonnet
Fish Kill
by Kristin Garth You were aware of mermaids in the sky,fenestrated fins swimming by since youare old enough to be outside alone. Whytheir pallor ash, collective moans imbuesfew fears of what was well known at daybreakseven years old. Magical was mundaneand manifold as silver rain in lakesabandoned by the dead. Mermaiden painschools overhead. Two innocent relatedinheritors of a haunting hate Read More
She Looks Exactly Like a Trap
by Kristin Garth Tendrils to tails, they circumnavigatea naked girl, bloom crowned, against tree trunkstoo late. Mermaiden ghosts tread air irate,retreat to appease queen’s dictates — swim, slunk, away, to wisdom pooled. They theorize,a spectral mermaid school, why would she sitin shivered fright, flesh sodden pink, unwise,unclothed, alone, midnight? It’s counterfeit coincidence — pretense of confidence,a doppelgänger of the dead, Read More
Let Him Know
by Kristin Garth She will not ask you to explain. Evenhalf women comprehend who is to blamefor plots where girls remove their clothes — reasonyou sit, alone, exposed in frigid shame, shuddering chest. She will approach you slowwith only one request — when he would kissthis poisoned neck, taste his death, let him knowthe cause was disrespect — damsels dismissed Read More
Sociopathy in Starbucks
by Kristin Garth It can happen anywhere to women even in the coffee shop where you write, employees so polite you are given a Christmas card, wee tree, evergreen bright inked signatures, iced sugar cookies that they know you like. You think I have a space maybe I have to pay for, little chit-chat between the sonnets, look up, see Read More