i s s u e: 2
// p o e t r y
Obituary
by Zachariah Claypole White
Death died unexpectedly on
Tuesday morning. He too
was heartbroken: exhausted
from laughing gas
and oxygen tanks; the guns,
the guns, always the guns.
Vigils will be held in schools
and synagogues, by the blind
corners of NC-86, and across
the 5’s third rail. Death is
survived by my grandmother
’s wheelchair and
a westerly breeze. He is
remembered as a son,
hoping for a cigarette;
a father ill-prepared
for rest. He is remembered
as a red balloon rising
to a cloudless sky.
*This poem draws inspiration from Obit by Victoria Chang.
about the author // Zachariah Claypole White
| Zachariah Claypole White (he/him) is a Philadelphia-based writer and educator, originally from North Carolina. He holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, where he was a Jane Cooper Poetry Fellow. His poetry and prose have appeared in Southeast Review, The Baltimore Review, and The Rumpus, amongst others. Zachariah has received support from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop and Writer’s Digest. His awards include Flying South‘s prize for poetry as well as two nominations for the Best of the Net and one for a Pushcart Prize. Zachariah teaches at the Community College of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph’s University, Manor College, and the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. You can find more of his work at www.zachariahclaypolewhite.com. |
Instagram: @zachariahcw
Facebook: @zachariah.c.white
BlueSky: @zachariahcw
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