Announcing Hur’s Spring “List”

Poems by Cynara Geissler

“In the sanctuary parents resist evil,” Geissler writes. Parents, children, teachers, poets, lovers alike; in this cycle of poems, ordinary settings become sites of resistance, of battle, of redemption. Households depend on kittens, relationships follow meridians, the son of God is a peanut. By turns funny, romantic, tragic, and clever, Small, Stunted Ways is about the choices, both obvious and unexpected, we are faced with every day.

We are very proud to be publishing this amazing book, but not too proud to ask for your help. We are a start-up, and capital can pose a problem for us. So for our second venture, we’re going the patronage route. You can click over to indiegogo.com/small-stunted-ways to back this project, and in exchange you will get our undying gratitude AND we will send you your copy of the book before it goes out to the unwashed masses. Here’s a preview of Cynara’s delicious poetry:

remedial romance

in kindergarten

you speak only

with your body

adoration a simple series

of tangible gestures

sharing the same square

of carpet at story time

slipping a sticky orange slice

in his dirty palm

under the art table

in middle school

the body is suspect,

always shifting

you slide your heart

from your chest

and tuck it in looseleaf.

he slowly parts the bellows

of your careful accordion fold

and you brace yourself

for his answer

to the ultimate question

do you like me?

check     ☐  yes   ☐  no

in high school

your body wants

but words fail you

you give him

everything—

           pen, protractor, yesterday’s math

           homework—soundlessly

enemy tongue locked

in your jaw

your whole body curving

           toward him