Alec Solomita has published fiction in the Southword Journal, The Mississippi Review, Southwest Review, and Heart of Flesh, among other publications. He was shortlisted by the Bridport Prize and Southword Journal, and named a finalist by the Noctua Review. His poetry has appeared in Algebra of Owls, The Galway Review, The Lake, Poetica, MockingHeart Review, and elsewhere. His poetry chapbook, ‘Do Not Forsake Me,’ was published by Finishing Line Press in 2017. He lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA

Advice

My dear young friend,
there’s a familiar old saw
you might find useful.
I keep it in the shed.
Feel free to borrow it
to cut a walking stick
with a nice knob for its head
and a good barky grip.

When the prattling world
and its current cant
starts to rattle your brain,
take it for a stroll
off the pious path
into the hushing trees
where the sounds are few
and profess nothing.