on (im)mortality in june

on (im)mortality in june crazy? crazy?

no, you’re crazy. cotton candy sunsets and sun-burnt terracotta tiles, you know what, I feel like I could live forever if someone gave me some antidepressants.

i think we’re already immortal, this is what being divine feels like. citruses burst blood-orange against apollo-kissed skin — mandarin-peel stars for my solar system to orbit around for a moment; for a moment I feel drunk, sprite-glittering diamonds dribbling down my chin, blue-stained ichor shining through the skin of our hands, ambrosia added sugars on our lips, laughter bubbling up, a cauldron of ephemeral immortality. and the sun-flares fading spectacularly into our hands.

- by gianna voce

Gianna Voce is a first-year student studying computer science in upstate New York, originally from Washington, DC. When she’s not messing up code, her favorite pastimes include sketching, drinking too much espresso, and writing (usually bad) poetry. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and can be found in Carmina Magazine, Travesties Press, and PenPoint Literary Magazine.

My parents were born in the Philippines to Chinese immigrants from the Fujian region of precultural revolution China. It’s a long story, I know.

if Jesus gave His blood for me, i wonder, was it red?

感謝神1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - but that’s tradition2 that i can’t read the elders are singing songs of praise offerings of poppy seeds for the white man’s god the pretty flowers of prayer grown on 鼓浪屿3 but on the golden mountain He can be ours too curled up as the shower head sweats Gethsemane on my back as the lance pierced in the wall’s tiled side cries clear and red shampoo and salt and metal burning, brimstone in my mouth a winding scarlet snake slithers out from a bore in my skull hot crimson streaking across a canvas of gilded skin cutting through the ivory white lather, creamy and concealing flood water dilutes me and washes it all down the drain get out, sit down (head down) the carpet is stained a chinese new year red is this proof of my ancestors? then let it flow; let it flow float it back to a fish head (soup) and the homeland 阿姨4 told me to circulate: raise my hands when i bleed before AR-15s among seeds or tanks in the square? two sides of a dirty gold coin cast from immigrant dreams when culture is simmered down to a orange chicken reduction but nothing except salty-tear waters keeps us apart i paint them a fresh new coat of red because it flows within me red is me and i am red

Thanks be to God; lyrics to a hymn

Literally: it is in Traditional Mandarin, used by Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau

Gulangyu: an island off the coast of China, a treaty port after the First Opium War and the site of some of the first Protestant missions; also where my Grandma found Jesus working as a schoolteacher Aunt, respectful title for older women. In this case, refers to the French-Taiwanese nanny who drove me home from school and cooked for my family through my elementary and middle school years while my parents were at work

Luke Tan is a young creative from New Jersey. Right now, he’s either procrastinating or running off of a burst of adrenaline and coming up with some crazy new writing idea (or probably both). In his free time, he enjoys drumming and sleeping. He can be found on instagram @luke.k.tan or @loquat. photography, and he hopes you have a wonderful day!