5 / 13 / 24

The UNSPOKEN

LIterary journal

to forgive

by Anonymous

Oh what it would take me 

to jump without leaving the ground

or fit the ocean in my heart 

to turn gravity on its head

or undo a puzzle without taking it apart 

to mime the sound of a voice in charades

or scream a silence so loud 

to cry tears only dry 

or make shame feel it should be proud 

to rip a hole in the air 

or wrap my arms around the moon 

to freeze an ice cube until it’s hot

or make an eternity feel like it’s soon 


Oh these impossible things are almost less possible 

than what it would take me 

to forgive you 


Cat

by Grant Wesley

“Meow” 

Cat what are you doing here? 

Laying on my bed snug and warm?

You come and go, vanish and appear 


“Meow Meow” 

Oh my poor cat!

All cold and lonely! 

Please please! Get comfy all that


“Meeooow”

Yes yes dear cat, there you go

Now sleep tight

Don’t let the bed bugs bite


“Me-ow”

I love you too cat


Can You hear me?

by Anonymous

Can you hear me? I shout to Beauty 

as I slather makeup on my face in the morning. 

Can you hear me? I shout to Success  

as I sacrifice another night of sleep working toward another grade, another project, another goal. 

*Can you hear me? I shout to Time as I spend every day chasing the step I was already supposed to be at. 

Can you hear me? I shout to My Future 

as I stare at the dozens of plans cluttering every surface of my room. 

If only time could slow down and my future would wait and being this young didn’t have to be so stupid. 

Can you hear me?