AroundtheWorld
In80Poems KeatsKennelly Issue#1 May2024
BEIJING
TheForbiddenCity
I didnot know whatwasso forbidden aboutthat city untillongafter I leftit. Years Ispent wondering, wasitthepeople? Theplaces? Theredtape surrounding everything? Intheend itwasjust afeeling. Forlorn. Lost Bittersweet. Triste. Alonging thatwillnever subside, knowing I could neverreturn.
-KK May2024
HANGZHOU
Hangzhou was myidea. Wildgesticulations, mappingitallout onawhiteboard, MarcoPolo’spersonalreview fromatime longsincepassed, alltoconvince you togo. Ittook onlyanhour topack and findthestation. Igotthetrainright, thehotelwrong. Wecouldnotfind Marco’smarvel welanded sofar out. Noonespoke English. Wedidnotspeak Chinese. Thesuite lackedthe promisedprivatepool. Initsplace akoipond with nokoi.
Still, weslid thewallsaway, bringingthe sereneworld intous. You tooka longbath, naturefloodingin. Iread, inbed, pretendingnotto watchyou fromafar. CrispOctoberair. Ancientbridges. Rushingwaters. Alone,randomKFC foroursustenance. Allsnapshots ofatime longsincepassed in Hangzhou. -KK
Penthouse
Welivedhigh intheclouds 27floors aboveShanghai. 3bedrooms. Muchtoo muchfor 2.
Icewhitetiles trappedthegrowing frost aswinter hitharder higher up.
Crackedmachines meant only1room couldhold enoughheatfor 2. Workhappened inaflurry allthrough thenight.
SHANGHAI
Me, underneath theheatblastingaircon, atthedesk.
You, acrosstheroom, huddledunderallthose duvets, inourbed.
Bothofus, sporadicallysharing snippets ofessays, tryingtofind meaning init all.
Itgrewcolder aswinter dredgedon. Moreduvets, higherheat, stucktogether, sittingapart.
Springfinally came. 1bedroombloomed backinto 3. Therebirth nevercame. Allthat space, theexcuse for ourdrift.
-KK
Keats Kennelly
KeatsKennelly (they/them)isawriter, poet,librarian,world traveler,andloverof livinglife. Theywereinspiredto createAroundthe Worldin80Poemsata libraryconference workshopwherethey neededtocreate somethingthenand there.Keatsturnedto theirpoetrytohelp themthroughitand thiszinewasborn.
Allthephotosinthis zineweretakenby Keatsthemself.
CreatedinMay2024.Copyrightpending.
KeatsKennelly-keatskwrites@gmail.com