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.

My New Girl

My new girl drinks fortified wine,
My new girl eats goat.
My new girl was pickling plantains
While I attended Choate.

She moves like silk in a slow mild breeze.
Smiles slow and white like rippling milk.
She called out “Hey!” across the street,
And that’s how we happened to meet.

“You dropped your phone, young sir,” she said.
Her arms shone brown in the morning light.
“Oh,” I called across the road. “You have saved my life!”
“Oh my goodness, my new friend. What a thing to say!

I just helped a man in need as the good Lord shows the way.”
“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen,”
I said as I crossed the street.
“Oh, my goodness,” she replied.
And that’s how we happened to meet.