{"id":3347,"date":"2022-10-07T14:57:51","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T18:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/?page_id=3347"},"modified":"2022-10-07T14:57:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T18:57:51","slug":"here-gratified","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/here-gratified\/","title":{"rendered":"Here, Gratified"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Advent Pro||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Here, Gratified<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Dina Folgia<\/h3>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-2px|||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Josefin Slab||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”|0px||0px||” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

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If I could, I would live in a crack<\/span>
in the sidewalk. A wildflowered one<\/span>
filled with the mossy creatures of<\/span>
the town, roly-polies and worms<\/span>
and translucent cellar spiders.<\/span>
No walking directions needed,<\/span>
just a single moment spent<\/span>
half in ground and half in sun,<\/span>
emerging womb to hands exactly<\/span>
where I am needed. I\u2019d plant myself<\/span>
dandelion-like between cobblestones<\/span>
in front of my favorite shop, my childhood<\/span>
home, my grandmother\u2019s lofty granite grave.<\/span>
I\u2019d spring fully formed and facing the sky.<\/span>
My legs won\u2019t be specters. They won\u2019t hop<\/span>
out from under me. My toes won\u2019t vanish,<\/span>
lost in my shoes one hundred feet from<\/span>
my door like lovers from a groaning<\/span>
twin bed, seeking secrecy or something<\/span>
less tangled. The closer I am to my life\u2019s<\/span>
places the less likely I am to forget myself<\/span>
at home, limbs falling away piecemeal,<\/span>
larvae flung from the hive when my father<\/span>
comes in with fumes and a bat. I\u2019d hardly<\/span>
leave my earth, hardly stray from the dried<\/span>
summer-warmth of concrete except to hug<\/span>
my mother, pick red clover, see a movie<\/span>
once or twice a year. I\u2019d be left solitary<\/span>
and whole, held and dark. I won\u2019t<\/span>
count my steps again.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Dina Folgia<\/strong> is an MFA candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University. She was an honorable mention for the 2021 Penrose Poetry Prize, and a 2020 AWP Intro Journals Project nominee. Her work appears (or will be appearing) in Ninth Letter, Dunes Review, Stonecoast Review, Defunkt Magazine, Kissing Dynamite Poetry, and others. She is a poetry editor for Storm Cellar. Keep up with her work at <\/span>https:\/\/dinafolgia.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|-100px|auto||” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1.jpg&#8221<\/a>; title_text=”Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ncwn-logo.jpg&#8221<\/a>; title_text=”ncwn-logo” _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”relative” vertical_offset=”50px”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_signup provider=”mailpoet” mailpoet_list=”Variant Literature|3″ title=”Subscribe to our Newsletter” _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” form_field_background_color=”#000000″ form_field_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_width=”6px” button_border_color=”#000000″ button_border_radius=”20px”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”81px||4px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.10″ _module_preset=”default”]<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Variant Literature Inc 2021<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here, Gratified Dina Folgia If I could, I would live in a crackin the sidewalk. A wildflowered onefilled with the mossy creatures ofthe town, roly-polies and wormsand translucent cellar spiders.No walking directions needed,just a single moment spenthalf in ground and half in sun,emerging womb to hands exactlywhere I am needed. I\u2019d plant myselfdandelion-like between cobblestonesin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159740901,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"

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The Single Life<\/strong><\/h1>

Jeremy Radin<\/h3>

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\"1\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"||-2px|||\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px|||\"][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_padding=\"0px|||||\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Josefin Slab||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" text_font_size=\"16px\" text_line_height=\"1.2em\" custom_padding=\"|0px||0px||\" hover_enabled=\"0\" sticky_enabled=\"0\"]<\/p>

A couple was picnicking in the park.<\/span>
I was there to go to the public garden<\/span>
for a couple sprigs of wild rosemary<\/span>
to tuck into my stew. A little songbird<\/span>
alighted as I passed them, its little face<\/span>
a spray of scarlet. The boyfriend said<\/span>
Wow, what a<\/span> lovely bird, it\u2019s got such<\/span><\/em>
gorgeous coloring<\/em>.<\/span> & I did not say it<\/span>
then, but<\/span> I knew that it was blood\u2014<\/span>
two blocks away a flock of them had<\/span>
slaughtered & picked clean a horse.<\/span><\/div><\/div>
\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" text_font=\"Josefin Slab||||||||\" text_text_color=\"#000000\" text_font_size=\"16px\" hover_enabled=\"0\" sticky_enabled=\"0\"]<\/p>

Jeremy Radin<\/strong> is a writer, actor, teacher, and extremely amateur gardener. His poems have appeared (or are forthcoming) in Ploughshares, The Colorado Review, Crazyhorse, Gulf Coast, The Journal, and elsewhere. He is the author of two collections of poetry: Slow Dance with Sasquatch (Write Bloody Publishing, 2012) and Dear Sal (Not A Cult, 2022). He is the founder and operator of Lanternist Creative Consulting, through which he coaches writers and performers. Follow him @germyradin<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\u00a0<\/div>

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=\"1_3,1_3,1_3\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_margin=\"|auto|-100px|auto||\" custom_padding=\"0px||0px|||\"][et_pb_column type=\"1_3\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1.jpg\" title_text=\"Color-Print-Logo-with-full-text-1\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" positioning=\"relative\" vertical_offset=\"50px\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"1_3\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_image src=\"https:\/\/variantlit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ncwn-logo.jpg\" title_text=\"ncwn-logo\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" positioning=\"relative\" vertical_offset=\"50px\"][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"1_3\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_signup provider=\"mailpoet\" mailpoet_list=\"Variant Literature|3\" title=\"Subscribe to our Newsletter\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" form_field_background_color=\"#000000\" form_field_text_color=\"#FFFFFF\" header_text_align=\"center\" header_text_color=\"#000000\" background_color=\"#FFFFFF\" custom_button=\"on\" button_text_color=\"#000000\" button_bg_color=\"#FFFFFF\" button_border_width=\"6px\" button_border_color=\"#000000\" button_border_radius=\"20px\"][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\" custom_padding=\"81px||4px|||\"][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\" _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"][et_pb_text _builder_version=\"4.9.10\" _module_preset=\"default\"]<\/p>

\u00a9 Variant Literature Inc 2021<\/em><\/p>

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