by James Mellor
Interior Education
It is night and finally time to go away,
easy or hard. Out back, trees grow up between
the rail ties. Coal climbs back down in
the ground. Under a footbridge, fish stay drunk
on dark foam. Bring someone warm into
your bed through a wall of words; each
hair tethers a different dream. The metal
clang is the iron in your blood, slamming
doors shut between surges of joy. Your
ceiling saves you over and over, but
when have you ever remembered that this
is only a dry school, since all the water
in the air is outside the window. Your
feet are not at the end of you anymore
either, you may find yourself flowing miles
past them toward the earth. The density of dirt
as a different form of light.
Laurinda Lind was most recently a caregiver and lives in New York’s North Country, close to Canada. Some of her poems are in Atlanta Review, New American Writing, and Spillway. Her first poetry chapbook, Trials by Water, was released in summer 2024 (Orchard Street Press). She has won four international poetry competitions.
The use of mixed media in their art allows James Mellor to channel the multifaceted nature of mental health. It reflects on the diverse and often fragmented elements of our psychological landscape. Just as the human psyche is an intricate interplay of thoughts, emotions, memories, and external influences, their artistic process incorporates an array of materials, textures, and techniques that seek to mirror the layering of emotions and experiences that shape our mental well-being.