I wish I could print out heartbreak
the way the sun sets every day.
It’s really too bad he's not actually a ghost.
Haunt me less. Draw me close.
I’m an amateur genius at suffering.
At least heartbreak by boring people
is good for my art. A kind of
negative awe when I think of you.
And how much I enjoy hearing the birds talk.
There is something so seductive about
the stench of a New York City summer.
The odor of a dying love.
I once loved now I sort of hate
the specificity of you. Though,
I still appreciate the melodrama.
The virtual mansion of my
mind gets so bored otherwise.
What a gift to feel something.
Then, nothing.

Emily Present is a writer from New York City. She co-founded and has been managing editor of the online literary magazine, G*MOB (formerly GlitterMOB) since 2014. Her poetry book, Cherry Lime Gospel, was published in March 2020 by Bottlecap Press (featured in NYLON and NYMag). She is currently an MFA Candidate in Creative Writing at Stony Brook University where she is the recipient of The Martell Prize in Creative Writing.

Originally from Montreal, Fiona Ackerman is a painter living and working in Vancouver, Canada. With over 25 solo exhibitions, she exhibits her work with representing galleries in Canada and Europe (Germany) and Asia (Taiwan). In addition to her studio practice, Fiona has painted several large scare public murals as well as video and music production. Her upcoming solo exhibition  Automatic Yes opens May 27, 2023 at Herringer Kiss Gallery. A survey of her painting archive can be found at fionaackerman.com, and on instagram @ackermanfiona. The featured paintings Wild Orange Lily and Fleur-de-Luce are available through oenogallery.com.