a poem in the moment

by Sol Kim Cowell

smooth sun-bite upon my cheek, 

dappled green grove tattooed upon my

arms, i kiss the wet nose of the dachshund

and wipe the smushy drool from my lips

with the back of my hand. 

crisp croissants crumple beneath my fingers

real, real, i am in this moment — 

even the tickle of hair at the nape of my neck

and the fine crust of dirt beneath my nails

grounds me: real, real.

Sol Kim Cowell is a transmasc mixed British-Korean writer and local café regular. Through his writing, he seeks to embolden the whispers of the subconscious and to confront the ghosts of the past, with a view to tell stories that resonate across borders.  At his doljanchi, he picked up the pencil, and he hasn’t put it down since.