Romana Iorga
Verdict
There are places in the universe where time matters less.
—Gretchen Marquette, “Andromeda”
In the beginning we were both
equilateral. No one develops sharp
angles, no one becomes obtuse
on purpose. Unlike uprooted trees,
we were tangible, within reach.
There were places in our universe
where time mattered less, where time
was a slotted spoon and about
as useful at holding our liquid souls.
We did not like to be out in the sun,
where anyone could read our hulking
thoughts and find them lacking.
We kept our shadows close, like two
billy goats stuck in a fairy tale
that had run out of villains. Someone
somewhere was slaughtering
a lamb but we chose not to see it.
We bear-tracked our own footsteps
for fear of being followed.
Each step was a sentence commuted
from one moment to another.
You had stitched your life to mine,
wound to wound, but someone
somewhere began undoing the stitches.
Romana Iorga reads “Verdict”
Romana Iorgais the author of Temporary Skin (Glass Lyre Press, 2024) and a woman made entirely of air (Dancing Girl Press, 2024). Her poems have appeared in various journals, including New England Review, Lake Effect, The Nation, as well as on her poetry blog at clayandbranches.com.