Tag Archives: Lili Gourley

Snapshot

Starchy blouse. Heavy case. Deflated ball. Forgot.

Barrette, hard on scalp. Pin curls, safe? Buzz.

White rim, white sandal, no sand. Yet. Waxy

palm, waxy palm gloss on new Caddy, fits six—

plenty comfy. Don’t pick on your sister. Not

comfy. Box of toys. Wicker bag, where are

we going? Beach? Where’s Dad? Mad men.

Remember the life jacket. No swimming then.

Wide wheel, tight tubes. Hold me up.

Drown. Drown in your expectations.

Drown in your ability to unpack the packed. Are we

there yet?

Lili Gourley is an English (creative writing) major with a focus in poetry. She comes from Palmyra, New York, where there’s not much to do but be creative. She has had poems published in Gandy Dancer, ANGLES, and Iris Magazine. Her most treasured possession is the ever-growing pile of books that is beginning to engulf the entirety of her room.

anatomy of a drunk record

everlasting rounds,

mountains that create

breathable noise.

we listen when we’re

drunk, when our

minds are no longer

ours to control.

repeated scratching

makes me dance,

divine unconsciousness,

we pull out another record

when all that’s left

of the last is

grain.

I groan when the

noise stops,

never stop,

never stop.

I sink into corduroy

cushion.

sit by me

so I know the

world isn’t truly

spinning.

Lili Gourley is a young writer, graduating Monroe Community College with an Associates in creative writing. She focuses on poetry and short fiction, often drawing inspiration and titles for her work from music and nature. She has been published in ANGLES and Gandy Dancer and intends to publish more of her poetry in the future.