by Tony Schanuel
Where the Lost Things Are
September looks like my mother;
all yellow-crowned pulp of the sun
lingering on water’s cheek.
Somewhere off the beach—
the northern one, lined with linden trees—
a ghost pulls the morning
like a moth-chewed sweater.
The wail rises and falls like hope,
someone is gone
and I can’t see
the sorrow-swept loon
past the bend, but I can feel her
in my eyes and behind
the red knot of my throat.
Not all lost, haunted things
are meant to be found.
Some even call me their daughter.
Octavia Knight (she/they) is a poet, author, and ICU nurse originally from Hartford, Connecticut. She studied creative writing at the University of Vermont and published her debut poetry collection, Love Me Broken, in February 2023. Their work often explores nature, human emotion, and elements of mysticism, offering insights into vulnerability and transformation. Stay connected with Octavia on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads @octaviaknightpoetry.
Tony Schanuel is an award-winning photographer and visual artist who has fused a professional background in photography, digital technology, and painting and mark making to create fine art that transcends those mediums. His work has been featured in Digital Imaging Magazine, Computer Graphic Magazine, Wild Heart Journal, St. Louis Design Magazine, and is a featured artist in Cyber Palette and Extreme Graphics, two books showcasing digital artists and their work. He has exhibited at the Florence Biennale and his art is held in private and corporate collections including the Fine Arts Museum of Houston permanent photographic collection. http://www.schanuelphoto.com/.