whose mirror are u stuck in??
where's the shade u rest??
do you chase off or after ur own shadow??
images as utility
my dehydrated eye quicker than the controls
semicrackd lips lose their thread,
surprised at the speed of silent minutes
This sun i usually function so much better in
burns quick thru the afternoon
i'm stuck to the third floor
The last year, so many
stresses've been processed thru
dehydrated eyes on third floors
a dense relaxation tugs to the ground
unshakably moist steel insides ache to be lowered
sensation swarms to and from me,
migrates where attention's drawn
even support is pain
do u really wanna know?
i hate repetition, live for intuition
work with the intuitive, but magic fades
running in place, stationary
chutes shoot buckets of it even paced,
one place to the same always over there
i long for my shadow over there
anything can happen under the sun
so she does what she wants
we do what we want
i always act like i don't want what i want
and prolong purgatories
i long for my shadow over there
Haibun 2
every song a story. my personal favorites drone. when singing, your voice isnt yours anymore,
it's the details of a coordinate youve smelled in winds, blown from anywhere on purpose. when i
dont look in your face you sing louder our smiles wider, there's no permanently fitting jacket of
influence here. dont waste time with doublespeak layered to affirm and reject simultaneous.
where do i belong? outside my body consuming a moment or performing ((always guilty about
where i am vs. where/what i should be, angular hellos, the way my songs strain from stunted
growths)). a hallway for in-betweens, i ask if obsessions have a point, if wanting something is
enough of a reason, wonder what's outside of typical validation cycles, wonder about
coordinates. the hallway clears its throat, deconstructed like so many other times and sings for
that uncompromised, networkless dream of a destination.
impermanence reigns
over our loud and wide smiiles
no real commitments
Corey Qureshi (they/them) is a writer, musician and parent based in Philadelphia. They make PHOSPHENES, a zine of poetry. They work at an LGBTQ+ center and freelance as an arts journalist. Their work has been published in Occulum, petrichor mag, and Rigorous among others. Find out more @ qboxo.github.io.
Benjamin Wayne Torrey is a mixed-race non-binary photographer, videographer, and designer from central New York. They often work in collaboration with musicians, and have produced art for Sammus, Izzy True, and naps, among others. Also a musician, Torrey released a debut album with the band Rill Ghosties in 2020. You can find their work at www.benjamintorrey.com.
