By Brian Yapko

the color of death may well be periwinkle purple  
but when the moment of shimmer arrives to leave  
this place of loud noises and too-straight lines, i 
want more. i want ethereal vermilion, ochre, 

chartreuse, turquoise & rust. when this shell  
of mottled flesh peels off of me, as i rise, i  
want my eyes wide open with awe, a giggle & 
a gasp at the answers. I won’t mind the clouds 

or rain, for the puffs of gray & white will 
will tickle like marshmallows, & the dazzle 
of drizzle will sweeten my ascent like honey  
dripping from the sky, sugar sweet on lips that  

no longer curse, silky soft on skin that no  
longer bleeds & tender on muscles that will  
never ache again.  let the air sparkle clean, 
redolent of ocean breezes, babies’ breath 

& orange blossoms.  as i soar let me wink  
at butterflies, balloons &  birds, let me linger 
in the tip-tops of trees laden with crisp  
apples & sweet peaches ripe for plucking 

& mashing to nourish the vital world i  
leave behind. let there be sun, a hint of  
moonlight, waltzing in their coruscations, 
& let there be the overture hint of cerulean 

& pink streaks boding a magnificent sunrise.   
let there be hugs, music, the scent of biscuits;  
let there be light which warms, winks, guides  
& reveals at last all the captivating colors. 

Tailored Garden by Janis Butler Holm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Yapko is a lawyer whose poems have appeared in multiple publications, including New York Quarterly, Gyroscope, Apricity, Tofu Ink, Society of Classical Poets, Hive Avenue, Abstract Elephant and others. His debut science fiction novel, El Nuevo Mundo, was recently published by Rebel Satori Press. His gothic archaeology novel The Bleeding Stone will be published by Rebel Satori in Autumn, 2023. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Janis Butler Holm served as Associate Editor for Wide Angle, the film journal, and currently works as a writer and editor in sunny Los Angeles. Her prose, poems, art, and performance pieces have appeared in small-press, national, and international magazines. Her plays have been produced in the U.S., Canada, Russia, and the U.K.

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