Issue 2: embodied
when i say you are a ghost
emily kellogg
what I mean is you are the creak of footstep
on rotting joist. when I say you are a ghost
what I mean is you are the air displaced
by pendulum’s shift from left to right. when I say
you are a ghost what I mean is you are
the viscosity binding black ectoplasm. when I say
you are a ghost what I mean is I have lined
my windows with salt to keep you out.
when I say you are a ghost what I mean is
the other day I flinched when I saw a tall,
dark-haired man in a navy cardigan.
(there are so many tall,
dark-haired men in navy cardigans.)
when I say you are a ghost what I mean is
I have tried to exorcise you through
Jesus
fucking
therapy
enough
wine to turn my stomach sour but
still, I see you in my purple puke.
Emily Kellogg’s writing has appeared in publications such as The Globe and Mail, The Wall Street Journal, The Humber Literary Review, Canthius, Pinhole Poetry, The Minola Review, and Room Magazine. Emily is the co-creator and co-writer of the award-winning horror fiction podcast, Parkdale Haunt. Emily holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. A selection of her published work is available at emilykellogg.com