"Habit" by Gail Martin

That was the day I began to paint the rabbit
with a flat straw hat, a smaller rabbit on top of that, 
another hat, a caption that says, “When My Feelings 
Have Feelings.” Sadness can become a habit.

Time passes and it’s hard to imagine a different map
of the world. It scares me how much this is on my mind 
today. How your capacity for joy can atrophy. 
Like bees or alcoholics, dying so slowly 

that you may not notice. While I drag 
this brush across the canvas, wind might sound 
like an unwelcome car approaching. In truth,
it drives right by, not giving me a glance.

***

Gail Martin’s book Begin Empty-Handed won the Perugia Press Poetry prize in 2013 and was awarded the Housatonic Prize for Poetry in 2014. The Hourglass Heart (New Issues Prose and Poetry), was published in 2003. She works as a psychotherapist in Kalamazoo, MI.  Recent work can be seen on Blackbird, Juxtaprose, Willow Springs, as well as her website.

"Flower at Sunset" is a photograph by Anna Bondarenko. Anna was born in the Ukraine but is currently living in Cracaw, Poland. She is a geologist and, for the past ten years, has worked as a mom of two great kids. Still, photography is her passion, her love, and her way of relaxing. It helps her to find inspiration, calmness, and harmony. You can find more of her work on Instagram at @Saregogirl.

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