issue two / celestial
clytemnestra
Alexandra Hechimi
tonight we bond over cranberry wine and clytemnestra holds her warmed hand
against the wet flesh of my cheek in silence
/promise/
she whispers against my temple like only she can,
to me,
she knows, she knows, what
will i do so far away, to
whom will i cry, to whom
i forget the rage, here, in her arms, consuming her silk, breathing, breathing,
my love, how long it’s
been, how long,
my love
tonight we bond over cranberry wine but tomorrow she is clytemnestra again and
i am electra in the cold, where the lone tendrils of my breath cry out but never reach the
heavens,
electra on the curb, downing bitter nectar and promising herself to the gods
/i beg of you, please/
neck slumping,
deserted cypress,
sky,
i make pacts with dusk and dream of desolate graves, dream of
agamemnon, overtaken by the dirt, a shallow crypt, i bury him twice,
deliver him, the chasm, the chasm, please,
divine bones, you, that i have surrendered, pawned, to whom, to whom do you belong,
how far, how far,
and how long until i cross her threshold,
again,
how long, oh, how long, my love,
/how long/
against the wet flesh of my cheek in silence
/promise/
she whispers against my temple like only she can,
to me,
she knows, she knows, what
will i do so far away, to
whom will i cry, to whom
i forget the rage, here, in her arms, consuming her silk, breathing, breathing,
my love, how long it’s
been, how long,
my love
tonight we bond over cranberry wine but tomorrow she is clytemnestra again and
i am electra in the cold, where the lone tendrils of my breath cry out but never reach the
heavens,
electra on the curb, downing bitter nectar and promising herself to the gods
/i beg of you, please/
neck slumping,
deserted cypress,
sky,
i make pacts with dusk and dream of desolate graves, dream of
agamemnon, overtaken by the dirt, a shallow crypt, i bury him twice,
deliver him, the chasm, the chasm, please,
divine bones, you, that i have surrendered, pawned, to whom, to whom do you belong,
how far, how far,
and how long until i cross her threshold,
again,
how long, oh, how long, my love,
/how long/
Alexandra Saida Hechimi (she/her) is a trilingual high-school senior who strongly believes in the healing power of creation (and sugary coffee). She loves iced caramel macchiatos, writing at midnight, and listening to music. If she isn’t painting, you can find her composing speeches for her Women’s Rights Association or planning her next Halloween costume eleven months in advance. Her work features in Moonflake Press, Sage Cigarettes Magazine, Fulminare Review, and more.