On my knees beside the bed
we often share, I read a collection
of poetry and blast Spotify radio through
pain-inducing earbuds – KALEO sings
“Oh darling, save yourself.” I crave
words tumbling over words so I let
them spill from me too, cut myself open
with pen and paper for more words, words,
words – a different kind of wound, easier
to hide if I give it a name: poetry.
Rachel is a recent graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a BA in English and Creative Writing, and a Spanish minor. She is from Bentonville, Arkansas and currently lives in Conway, Arkansas where she went to college. She is an aspiring writer and avid reader. She has an Instagram page where she posts about the books she reads (@racheljohnsonreads). Her first creative publication is in the Vortex, UCA’s literary magazine, Spring 2022 print issue in which three of her poems and two pieces of creative nonfiction appear. Her book review “Learning to Love Matt Mitchell” was published by the Southern Indiana Review in May 2023.