How Summer Withers by Jaime Lam (Illinois, 25)

Did you know Persephone plucked
those damn pomegranate seeds-
all on her own. Poor girl
​
so desperate for some
sweet, scouring nails
into arteries for teeny red gems.

Seven little ‘I love
nots,’ cradling, against a young
lifeline. She savored

her pretend trickling
onto starved lips, like
kissing. No one

could give her anything
better.





Jaime Lam is a biracial, queer tea fanatic. Graduated from Knox College, she majored in English and Creative Writing. She tends to lean towards poetry, essays, and the wilder card of urban fantasy. Jaime is from the corn part of Illinois, and still resides there despite deep efforts to not live in Illinois. As a person, she has a habit of laughing ridiculously hard at her own jokes, makes too big of a deal of someone’s birthday, and wants to personally remind you to drink water. Her work can be found in Viewless Wings, Breakbread Lit, Papers Publishing, and Sandhills Literary. Insta: rainjmerain