KATIE COSSETTE

The Saint Lawrence River

Can we meet on the beach,

sun beating down on our shoulders,

painting us in its peachy glow?

I’ll bring cut up fruit to show my love

and you’ll show up empty-handed

to show how much you care.

Sunscreen will burn our eyes,

better than peeling skin and cancer, right?

Oh, your father had cancer?

Sorry.

A dripping ice cream would be ideal,

something for my tongue to lick up

besides my sweat

and awkward attempts at conversation.

I ask if you want to play mermaids.

Your eyebrows lift up in superiority

and I laugh, it’s all a big joke—

this is all a big joke.

The only thing coming home with me

is sand in my shoes

and a hermit crab in my pocket.

Katie Cossette (she/her) is an English Literature student based in Montreal, QC. Her work has been featured in Scribbles magazine, Trash to Treasure Lit, and is forthcoming in Pixie Lit magazine.