They have been painstakingly cataloged, each with date stamps remembered vividly, ready to roll up on your shores like muscle memory, like grudge-holding tides that never forget. When you’re willing to let it go—all of it—to make amends, to say your goodbyes, let it not be too late.
Thad DeVassie is a lifelong Ohioan who writes and paints from the outskirts of Columbus. His recent work has appeared in Unbroken, Spelk, Lunate, and Ghost City Review, among others. He is a winner of the 2020 James Tate International Poetry Prize for his manuscript SPLENDID IRRATIONALITIES. His chapbook, THIS SIDE OF UTOPIA, will arrive in 2021 from Cervena Barva Press. Find more of his work @thaddevassie.
A brilliant piece that smartly makes use of the title. The poetic rhythms and interplay of imagery are still rippling upon my psyche.
Thank you for your kind words, Christopher.
Thad, this piece is amazing, the visuals and the emotions in the narrative capture the human experience. A good reminder to me, as well. Thank you!
Thank you, Jenise. I’m so glad this resonated.