fr (e,p/ lowercase volume 5, issue 2
Andbythetimeil was over I could finallyput into words thefeeling of apprehensively unwrappingmyself
By: O/yrnpia Victor
Whileyou- like afussytoddler picked outtiny pieces of 1ne Tosatisfyyour sweet tooth Your eyes onlyeverbriefly glossed over the nutritionlabels Yourstomachheldjust enoughspace to crave thesweetness I could fleetinglyoffer And oncethelastsquare n1elted ontoyourtongue You lavishedit But il wasn'tenough Frustrationfilled your guts when n1y wrappergot stuck around yourrestless hands "I111ant1nore"
I think I 1night hate her. "But when the leaves fall, they get rid of those flavors." I'll be the one to have her meet her maker. "Next autumn I'11 be trying something new." Funny she says that, she won't make it past winter. "They said if you add fertilizer, it'll decompose quicker," continues the girl sitting before me. The one dressed for 1ne, who came for 1ne. I tum. "That's kind of gross," I mutter, not wanting to say much more. Because if I say a another word, I won't be able to hear what the women at the other table is saying to hi1n. Hiln, who is not 1ne. On this Friday winter evening, where there is one more table t1lled then there needs to be.
"Pu1npkin spice is oh so nice," she says, to the back of my head.
By: ChristinaPeitler
held is n1y body when we make small talk in your parent's house and avoid one another's eyes we share Saltines on the sofa and let the crumbs burn the corners of our n1ouths raw and as you gesticulate at cartoons i watch love dance in and out of you and i worry you're growing tired of me so i make sure every sn1ile contains only n1ore smiles you're an avid reader and a gentle sleeper so i dog ear every page of Mango Street just for you and i exhale to remember because sometimes i forget i forget you're such a cool girl (like me)
By:allIndiaMoore
andso i pretendnot to re1nen1ber all the thingsyou say and allthe thingsyou don'tsay andhowcoldyourhands are when they're tracing a quiet pattern on mythigh heldis mybody when i'm dancing andthinking ofyou safeis n1ybody when i'mnotthinking at
Our love was a crime racing against tilne. Yet,Overcome by thrill, Our love stood still. Only weaker than fate, Only stronger than freewill. Our love was a crime racing against time. Perhaps, you dee1ned, If we moved forward, You could forever be mine. Perhaps, I thought, If we stayed in the same place, We could be frozen in tilne. I don't love you any less, And you don't love 1ne any more. We silnply Forevermore.Religiously,love
By: Dana Sulton
By: Tess Goddard
I want tofeelit theway I feltthe entireleftside ofmybody scraped upfrom askateboardfall. Likethe desperateway I gulp downwater after an1nin theheat, likethe shivering cold afterskinny dipping, like the mothunable to resist the candle, like aloe veraon asunburn. Butshedoesn'twantthat, doesshe? She laid therewithherhead in1ny lapandsaid toher, Ifeellike curtains in the breeze like cracking open acarwindow likewhippedcream, unsweetened, alight dollopontopof theshortcake. She said the bestthing aboutthis ishowcherry blossoms stillfeel softwhen they fallfrom the tree. She said sheneeds it like this. She givesme somuch the giftof agentlekiss on thehip. Coffeeshe made in thesmallestcup inmycupboard. Salted nutsfromcvs. Smilingwhileshe's kissingme. I can't askmoreof her. And that's actuallythewayto careabout someone, I knowthat. You don'tactually careabout someone by "giving themthe 1noon" or anyothercheesy shit apoemhas everbeenwritten about. Youcareby lettingthem sleepwhen youwanttotalktothem, by telling themto do theirhomeworkwhen youwant to kissthem, bynottelling the1n that they areaplum anddarkpurple and youwant thejuice dripping down yourwrists and getting on yoursneakers. It's nottelling themthis, becausewhat they need isjustto sitinthegrass andlistentochurchbells float awayonthe wind.
By: Olympia Victor
Like my lips, the buds-tightly pressed shut, slowly began to open Like my hands opened to hold yours close When the weather warmed, we basked in the sun. But when it grew cold, and the night extended into the day, your intentions became blurred. Turmoil tantalized us as the winter wildered our emotions
The sun shines in from the upper left corner. That tiny ray was just enoughto transform closed pink buds into t1owery pale petals I thought it would be enough for you too.
"The t1owers you brought 1ne have blossomed. They sit on 1ny window sill Welcomed by the view of a brown, stained, brick wall
My heart directly facing yours, sought familiarity and warmth. My arms opened, and those tiny buds in bloom You told 1ne to let you in, to open up to you. So I tried. But it wasn't enough. This time, when the weather warmed, you told 1ne you saw no future for us. I gave the flowers away to my friend She said that I had cared for them well.
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Icanfeel thecondensation, Ican feel my fingers prune. I'mholdingmydrink too tight, it might shatter soon. She holdingtight too, tighttoyou. Hervelvet dressglistens and herpupilsdeepen. Ican see fromhere, yourpupils deepen too. When someonebelongswith someone else, it becomes scratched, boldwriting on the wall. I'mtiredtoscrappingaway, hoping toerase what's clearlynot mine. And yet Iholdon, untilmy nailpolish chips andmypalms blister. Ithurts so much to keep hanging on, to actlike I'm yours. So break upwith me, yourgirlfriend, before I'mwritten as the evilone.
By: Christina Peitler
He wasdoing well allleafy and green whenI stillsowed your seeds. Hesatthereinthe sun, Asthewarmwindshookdustoffhislittle leaves. Indulgingwhen hestill could untilthe outside crispedcold, weakeninghim. Wetoofadedlikethepathos'sleaves. Warmdaysbecameunbearably hot nights. Thesunilluminated yourgood, Butthenight's shadowshighlighted your dark. So Ithrew himaway inthetrash plummetingchute,down 6 stories. Thistime I'llbe theone to give a plant, Growing taller, wider, fasterwith a woman's touch. I'll be suretokeeptheleaves sunny andgreen.
By: CarlyNeilson
mw;-rrc
By: Cat Gille
"This nightingale keptyou Awakeso often ... when You should sleep in peace."
Laustic, MariedeFrance I'11 let the bird rest 1ny warm palm against the cold window, freezing leaving handprints at night that I know are s1naller than yours across fro1n me, where all that's left is the lonely mark at dawn when I try to close my eyes and crush is all my chest can feel as moonlight inches off my skin, and I can't even meet you in my dreams. I long for sleepless nights. I wish I had said something then.
a string wraps around each our hearts tugging, connecting them closer as we kiss apart the string still tangles, binding us lusty blood from our hearts' travels it nourishes our vessels expanding, contracting over and over i love you boils under our skin pulsing through our veins in unison together and apart the rush, the f1ood beco1nes too 1nuch bursting like a bruise leaving proof on delicate skin i think i love you pushing up from deep within sparks of passion lacerate throbbing in blood spilling over and out i love you.
By: CarlyNeilson
By:Audrey Casper In afew hours, when you wake up, You will notfind1ne in thehouse, Orthetrees. No. You willfindme Four 1niles awayfro1n ho1ne, buying you Orangejuice forbreakfast. I could trek This love for hours andnot losesight Ofthatmorninglight. Mydarling, Icannottakemuch 1nore Walking. Givemeorchard, give1ne Bark-skinnedknees. Giveme axman. Notthis silence. You see, Icouldstain everycloth wehave Ripe with citrusdrip, andyou'd still be The onlyscentin the roo1n.
I'mtangled inyour sheets again, Those mourning-doves cooing and cooing Outside on the coldgrass. I'd brave the dew, hike up n1y skirt Andlayn1yselfcleaninthebirdbath Ifitgave n1ejustonemoreminute Of unwitnessedsun. There'sagleamagainstthe crystals Strungthrough your picture window. You don't believe in them, but When I wake up withthatrainbow Beamshiningclear on myface, Icantastetheforgiveness Likeanorangein my n1outh.
By: Anonymous
I'm sad because I 1niss you. I Iniss your love. I don't feel it enough. It's like a little gem that I get gli1npses of sometimes. But I know it's there. I know you love me because you show it through actions and talk about me to other people in your life. And yet, I feel so starved of passion. You are so cerebral and I ain so e1notional. I need you to hold 1ne and kiss me and tell me sweet things. I love you and I want to hold your head in my chest and kiss your cheeks and fall asleep with you.
By: LaneyPicon
Capitollettersisthelongest-runningstudentliterary n1agazine, featuring prose, poetry, and visual artsubmittedby GW students, staff, and alumni. The annual 1nagazine, unlikeourzinelowercase, isalonger, n1ore polished versionofa traditionalliterary 1nagazine. Subn1ityour artand ,vritingtogwcapitolletters@grnail.com Follo,v uson Instagram at @capitol.letters ··I· •.11•Ii••. •..•••• ••••• •••••••••• r=,•••,.......·• Ir=, I••L:J:•••••.•i••'1· L!J!•. • ••• •:•••• •I ••• •• . I··········1 .•.••••.• :I 1·,!• 1 • 1 1•..·····1·. ..I I•III.,... ·· · E1.7l • I •I•••1• • • • ll!a • • • •• I1•l.!1·1•. ,......"""' .I., .1•• II I I. I .. ··11• 1•··· •••• •••••I. ••• •• .. .• 1··· I ··1Illr■ 1 ••I•••111 •• • •I • • ■ I1: ·i:::.•·•:1•1·•FLOWCODE • • • ••••• I ...... ,. .,...:.:.•••·: . P111i,ACY.FLowcoOE,CO"' Cover: Heartbreak by Nadia Wachira
