JAY SHIFMAN, Photographer

&

MANDI WRIGHT, Author

“SUN” // Fujifilm Xs10 // Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR

Heat

The sidewalk emits warmth

when the night comes,

hot pavement letting off

steam after being

beaten by summer rays

all day long.

Smiles go the breath of relief

when chaos of the

urban mind summers away

from boiling temperatures

makes me remember how life

always can appease itself.

Even if I feel made of

concrete with

the intended purpose

of being trampled on

I still am existing with

purpose.

Jaundice

I see dead yellow roses

atop a trash can

at the train station.

The heart inside

wants to give them a home

but I have nowhere to

bury the deceased and it

makes me wonder why

I try to keep flowers alive

on my table

in the first place—

They will only

shrivel up to decoration.

The guilt of death will

never shrivel away,

no matter how

natural I’ve become

with the art of grief.

Why then do I

accept that

when things die they

may as well end up

in the trash?

JAY SHIFMAN (he/him) believes no one is free until we are all free. When he’s not creating beauty on the page as a poet and writer, he’s photographing it in the world. His photography style features vibrant colors, stark contrasts, and overt messages. You can regularly find Jay documenting protests and the often-brutal response from the police. He lives in South Philly with his primary partner/wife, Lauren, and their dogs Nell and Crash.

MANDI WRIGHT is a poet from Portland, OR navigating urban beauty in man-made nature through her writing. She’s been published in the Waldorf Literary Review and Catfish Creek, and also has a book of poetry titled The Grass that Grows in Sidewalks. Besides writing, Mandi enjoys painting, reading, and taking walks at night. She occasionally posts her poetry and art on Instagram.