Shards of a Heartbreak

by Olivia Merini

22/12/22 

This greenery  

is just pretend.  A feeble attempt, not to trip on  

my own laces.  

So today  

you thought of me.  It will pass. 

24/12/22 

Elder, sweeter lips,  sage lips, cracked lips, ancient, holy lips: embrace the outrage, cradle it, nurse it, close to your heart.  

The recipe  

to forget.

30/12/22 

Foreboding  

and questioning, yet here I am:  cajoling myself  in your shadow. 

05/01/23 

Scattered  lifeless, 

all around, shreds  

and crumbs, of what you  are 

no longer.

05/02/23 

Cognitive dissonance: what I thought  

was the core 

becoming marginalia.

Olivia Merini is a 30-year-old bilingual Italian-Canadian with a multi-passionate spirit. After growing up in Rome and living in London, she’s now rooted in her beloved Edmonton. Having spent much of her life as an editor and translator, she is no stranger to the importance of nuance. Her work is defined by radical honesty, fearless introspection, and an unwavering dedication to the practice of choosing her words wisely.