Alexis Mitchell

W O R D S • I D E A S : A L E X I S M I T C H E L L

Spiritual ties—my body still feels you in ways only it could recognize

It’s after 5am, and of course, I’m awake. I still haven’t been able to shake this routine—the way my body searches for you before the sun surges through a collage of clouds. casting the moon back down to earth until dusk’s later return. so I’ll toss and turn, tangling my legs in this blanket of yearning. wondering if you’re hurting—can you feel this, too? because we’ve always been capable of aligning. distance is what would split us, but our hearts never waivered on timing. And while I may be a ghost to your bed of bones, I know your mind always finds me. haunted by memory and the failed trajectory. leaving behind impressions of what was never meant to be. yet it’s after 5am, and my body is still wanting.

Alexis Mitchell is an English teacher, author, and poet from New York. As of 2022, she has published 4 poetry collections: I Write, Therefore I Am, I Write Therefore I Am: Exposed, Hope Chest, and The Attic. Aside from teaching and writing, Alexis Mitchell can be found with her nose in a book or spending time with friends and family. Instagram: @_lexmwrites.