an artist always acts angry
before bridges burn- bright,
callous, crassly carefree-
desperately denying darkness.
easily, effortlessly, ending
fake friendships for
great gawky gimmicks,
her hands holding herself.
in itself, isolation is
jerkingly joyous, jarringly
kind. kingdoms keep
losing, love lives long.
maybe most masks
never need nabbing.
often, on odd occasions,
pain pleads, persists, passes.
queens quake, question
rebellion. rosy reputations
sink, spies set scrutiny sailing,
time turns tables.
underneath, universes unite, unafraid.
vulnerability vets vanity,
whispers wildly- we were
yellow, young, yearning,
zesty.
"'acrostic tales of parting.' was made as a personal challenge for myself as a poet. I wanted to try writing an abecediarian for the first time, & this poem talks about being a young artist in times of political turmoil." - notes from the artist
PHOENIX TESNI (she/her) is a 23-year-old poet from New Delhi. A Best Small Fictions finalist, her work has also been published in Surging Tide, Sage Cigarettes, Limelight Review, Verum Literary Press, celestite poetry, and many other places. Phee likes to dedicate her life to consuming and creating art, petting every cat she comes across, and having as much fun as she possibly can. You can find her at phoenixtesni.com or on Twitter & Instagram @PhoenixTesni.