Girls
by Mary Lou Buschi
In Catholic uniforms,
plaid pleated skirts,
white blouses dangerously
unbuttoned to the edge
of our bras, we chase
her through the planted
tomatoes and Marigolds.
When we punch her –
a Thrush from an unlocked
palm waves out of her ribcage.
There is no sound,
only an imaginary ocean
that raps inside my ears,
as my friend starts to run.
A blue car driving slowly past—
the width of sky torn
from a girl’s tablet.
Mary Lou Buschi’s poems have appeared in Lily Poetry Review, Thimble, Thrush, Radar, Cloudbank among others. Mary Lou’s full-length collection, Awful Baby, was published through Red Paint Hill (2015). Tight Wire, her third chapbook, was published by Dancing Girl Press (2016).
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What surprising, fascinating stuff can you tell us about the origin, drafting, and/or final version of “Girls”? “Girls” is a poem I’ve been tinkering with for years. I’ve been carving away at it trying to see how much I can lose while still maintaining the tension. This scenario did, in fact, happen. I’m not sure what provoked us to chase and punch a stranger. I think that’s why I needed to explore it. One of those strange moments that you scarcely remember or can explain.
Check out the write-up of the journal in The Writer.
Matter Press recently released titles from Meg Boscov, Abby Frucht, Robert McBrearty, Tori Bond, Kathy Fish, and Christopher Allen. Click here.
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Submissions
Poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction/prose poetry submissions are now closed. The reading period for standard submissions opens again September 15, 2025. Submit here.
Upcoming
12/15 • Isabelle Ness
12/22 • Catherine Bai
12/29 • Stephan Viau
01/05 • Allison Blevins
01/12 • Justin Ocelot
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01/26 • Mathieu Parsy
02/02 • Robert McBrearty
02/09 • Sarah Daly
02/16 • Wayne Lee
02/23 • Terena Elizabeth Bell
03/02 • Michael Mirolla
03/09 • Nicholas Claro
03/16 • TBD
03/23 • TBD
03/30 • TBD