Alec Solomita’s fiction has appeared in Peacock Journal, 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, The New Criterion, The Galway Review, Bold + Italic, Litbreak, 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. His first full-length book of poetry, “Hard To Be a Hero,” was published  by Kelsay Press in 2021. Both can be found on Amazon. He’s just finished another, “Glass Flowers.” He lives in Massachusetts.

Talk

About a month before you died
you became talkative.
Leaning forward in your chair,
you would go on and on
about this and that
in impenetrable speech.

The words didn’t exist
in any language, but your rhythm
seemed to carry nouns and verbs
and emotion,
and your look
was thoughtful and sure
as you delivered
your occult messages.

I nodded as I listened
to your strange, beautiful, and
excruciating talk. What were
you telling me, darling?