Words by: Tianna Jordening, Ilisha Thiru Purcell, Sarah Royston, Grace Maxted, Anna Rose James, Elizabeth Gibson, Isabel de Andreis, Helen Salsbury, Megan Ellenberger, Helen Vine, Shastri Akella, Penny Shutt, Chris Belson, Don Paterson, Georgia Boon, Maja Ulasik, Dominic Weston, Romy Tara Wenzel, Maitrayee Deka, Holly Moberley, Patricia Minson, Mark Czanik, BEE LB, Cera Naccarato,Julia Ruth Smith, Andrea Koehler, Viviana Moreno, Charli Jacobs, Natalie Burdett. It cuts deep, with tales of poisoned gardens, oak wives, and worlds beneath our feet. The Roots Issue is a collection of vivid writing, exploring our relationship with the earth and what roots us. The latest issue of Popshot Quarterly is on sale now. Then comes the collapse of your weight on the bed, the demand of your palms, and the silent plea that goes unanswered. If I could trace it with my finger, the smell of vodka on your breath would hit the back of my throat first. Who’s to say where the letters begin to rewrite themselves, but what once barely scratched enamel now bares the nerve raw. Stored safely, fermenting in a sealed jar. The love me written in every gesture, every inflection of my voice but never exposed to oxygen. And I sipped my green tea because you couldn’t stand the taste of coffee on my breath, and I would have given anything to mingle every exhale with yours. You devoured my half while I marvelled at the crumbs on your lips. Your knuckles framed your pockets like jewels in a crown. Once I saw you coming up the sidewalk, I didn’t mind. It was that time, remember? When we met at that bakery on Fifth and you were late. Like he can see it too, and is trying to decipher the meaning. The tooth clinks like an instrument when it hits the metal tray. The moment these thoughts are freed of me. ![]() And despite the anaesthesia, I swear I feel the crack. ![]() Every inhibition stored safely in my gums. Each molar and incisor is a bar clamped shut against my tongue. When they extract the root, they will find bits and phrases, syllables and sentiments my teeth never let pass my lips. This flash fiction by Tianna Jordening appears in The Roots Issue of Popshot Quarterly.
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