BY JOANNA C. VALENTE
As the senior managing editor at Luna Luna and the founding editor at Yes Poetry, you could say writing is important to me, especially poetry. For me, it’s vital to highlight poetic voices in order to support literature, activism, and expression.
Here are three of my favorite poems I read recently.
Diannely Antigua - “In Suburbia”
“Do you need protection
or a father? When you stick your fingers
in the darkest hole, you feel almost feminine.
You tell the unborn to stay put.”
Gracelynn Chung-yan Lau - “Depressed Goldfish”
“Two butterflies chasing each other
asking for a metamorphosis, or
a resurrection.”
Sara Borjas - “Absent Things as If They Are Present”
“This is a love story.
The scene is domestic.
We cook a meal. I almost
touch my brother’s hand
with tenderness. My brother’s arms
protect the mess on my face
like fancy angels. He knows
I don’t mean everything I say.”
Joanna C. Valente is a human who lives in Brooklyn, New York. They are the author of Sirs & Madams, The Gods Are Dead, Marys of the Sea, Sexting Ghosts, Xenos, No(body) (forthcoming, Madhouse Press, 2019), and is the editor of A Shadow Map: Writing by Survivors of Sexual Assault. They received their MFA in writing at Sarah Lawrence College. Joanna is the founder of Yes Poetry and the senior managing editor for Luna Luna Magazine. Some of their writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Them, Brooklyn Magazine, BUST, and elsewhere. Joanna also leads workshops at Brooklyn Poets. joannavalente.com / Twitter: @joannasaid / IG: joannacvalente / FB: joannacvalente