Cover Art: Georges Rouault, "The Righteous, like Sandalwood, Perfume the Axe That Falls on Them," 1948. Aquatint & drypoint w/ roulette over photo. MOMA.

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Plea

The hymn begins
at the altar

but within a note or two
I’m surrounded by
its voices.

Everyone is singing
me dizzy and swooning.

Oh God,
I am through
being grateful.
​
You don’t know
what he’s done to me.

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Juanita Rey is a Dominican poet who has been in this country five years. Her work has been published in Pennsylvania English, Harbinger Asylum, Petrichor Machine and Madcap Poets.

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past, Simon Perchik                                                                                                                                                                                                           next, stephanie roberts