The moon howled at me. I tried

to tell her: that wasn’t the way ‘round

it was supposed to be

but

she just kept on howlin’,

s p i T T i n g

her cries into the night and my deserted

hillside.

I knew why.

She was mad.

Mad I’d let her be for so long

without a kiss.

But you see,

(I told her)

every time I try to break away to come and press

your sweet lips against mine, the stars

start chattering and talking, and

pretty soon the Sun

is going to find out

and want to know

why I’m dallying with his best girl.

And I’ll have no answers for that

Amara George Parker (they/them) is a London-based writer. Their short story, Rafterland, recently appeared in Mslexia’s Other Worlds-themed Showcase, and their poetry has been published in literary magazines Spoon Knife, Sufi Journal, inkspace, Aeva, Voice of Eve, She Who Knows, and Earth Pathways diary. As a queer disabled writer, they hope their work offers readers an inclusive perspective.

When they’re not writing, they love being immersed in nature, exploring new parts of the world, and listening to something sultry or funky. They'd love to chat to you about literature, drag, disability, paganism, and boats. Will read your tarot for a price.

To learn more, visit amaragparker.wixsite.com/agparker, and follow them on Instagram at a_g_parker and Twitter @amara_gparker.