Alec Solomita’s fiction has appeared in the Southwest Review, The Mississippi Review, Southword Journal, and The Drum (audio), among other publications. He was shortlisted by the Bridport Prize and Southword Journal. His poetry has appeared in The Ekphrastic Review, Gnashing Teeth Publishing, The Galway Review, Bold + Italic, Litbreak, Subterranean Blue Poetry, The Blue Nib, Red Dirt Forum, and elsewhere.  His chapbook, “Do Not Forsake Me,” was published in 2017 and is still available at Finishing Line Press and Amazon. His first full-length book of poetry was published last April by Kelsay Press. He lives in Massachusetts.

Hello, I Must Be Going

I

Dread is too malign,

curiosity too benign.

Dubious is more like it,

and, yes, apprehensive,

but relieved, too  —

all those Cy Twombly

mind-scribbles stilled.

II

My wife was set on destroying

her diaries before she died,

and with my help and a keening

shredder, she made it in time.

It told me something key about

my old dying darling, something

so different from me: She knew

the world didn’t die with her.

(Oddly enough it did for me.)

So when it’s my turn and you all

no longer exist, feel free

to rummage through my things.