The Rot

by Erin Jamieson
​

ivy crawls over your
eyelashes but still you sleep
under a mildew-stained mattress
as ashes fall from the sky
still you sleep

I brew mushroom coffee
& salvage what I can
from the rubbish
in the alley behind

bruised oranges
& apples
sliced thin
cooked down
to hide
the rot

Erin Jamieson (she/her) holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University. Her writing has been published in over eighty literary magazines, including a Pushcart Prize nomination. She is the author of a poetry collection and four poetry chapbooks. Her latest poetry chapbook, Fairytales, was published by Bottle Cap Press. Her debut novel, Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams, came out November 1st, 2023.