"The Ballad of Modern-day Solace-seeking" by Ailing Zhou

The Ballad of Modern-day Solace-seeking

Have you ever // seen your blood? // I know it looks like ketchup // whilst mine is the texture of acrylic paint // in a color Nippon would call // Red Earth // That is not to say // oh no no // that your grief is flimsier than mine // only that mine // dries a little faster // Won’t you forgive me // oh forgive me, do // if my prayers are not as loud as you wished // my head is bent scrubbing // the stains from my ever-past // I haven’t managed to look at // the color of that boy’s knee // but trust that I know // it’s crusted with platelets // wounds of his plain innocence // For who hasn’t borne //  a slash from these times // grazed up against convictions and fictions // each day a dozen more people lose their footing // bear with me while I press down on my sore spots // your blood is still sweet and sour // That is not to say // oh no no // don’t take it to mean I’m heartless // oh no no

Ailing Zhou

Ailing Zhou is a Chinese-born Singaporean writer who was raised in China, Singapore, and the UK. She is a recent graduate of Duke University, where she received her B.A. in English. This is her first poetry publication, more of her work is forthcoming in Janus Literary.

Headshot: Aasha Reddy

Photo Credit: Staff