Poems by Arben Alovic / Photograph by Angel Paulino
Long Nights
Quiet.
It’s still in the library. When did
July become a snowy November?
Why won’t the clock stop? Can Fate
grasp my hands and give mercy,
as she listens to
my staggered breathing.
Things don’t need to be complicated.
But I, I’ve always complicated things. I cannot
settle this heart of mine.
My heart, it sits tucked away in a book
on the shelf to collect dust. Tickets for two to
Tokyo, unused. I never brought myself
to ask for a refund. Expensive bookmarks
to remind me of
what could have been.
What am I doing? Winter is
quickly approaching. I need to get
my head out of summers. Sunflowers
and roses rot in the cold. But why am I
holding these seeds so tight,
hoping I could grow flowers again?
But maybe I am also
a masochist for keeping
my disturbance
naturally alive.
What You’ll Understand
Here’s a truth: the poetry never ended.
The poet jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge
and faked his death.
You mourned him and moved on,
as he donned the mask
of the man you never loved, and
smiled along with the crowds.
Now he walks among you all, forgotten.
Don’t stare too deeply into his eyes;
don’t tempt the façade so as not to break it.
A phantom made of porcelain.
Madness. All of this is nothing but madness.
What’s even poetry any longer?
Are the postcards poetry, or just
wishes he’ll no longer whisper in your ear?
The post office an accomplice. The pen company
is an accomplice. The paper is an accomplice. The trees are an accomplice.
Fate is an accomplice.
What is peace? Where is it hiding?
In the tea that promises sleep?
In the honey that promises sweetness?
The truth is tiring.
The poet desires to live in a world of lies.
Jump into the words. Drown in them.
Let them fill your lungs and
become your air.
Arben Alovic is an alumnus of LaGuardia and credits it with providing the foundation and connections that helped shape his future. His journey has taken him across the world, with adventures in Japan, Montenegro, Korea, and beyond. He is currently at work on his first book.
Photograph by Angel Paulino: @xsihlzy or @xsihlzy.jpeg on IG.
