On this infinitely sunny day,
after a long ride in a surfer’s van,
the moon begins its glow behind stone
mosques. In the turrets’ shadows,
the broken light of stained glass
windows searches for untouched
surfaces. Defiant street cats,
the dingy angels, stretch,
reluctant to begin their search
for the evening’s sustenance.
It is my best friend and me in Tangiers,
holding the first breath of summer
to the wine bottle’s open mouth.
We would like to believe it is too early
and too late, so there is still
time, that the sunset will laze on
until morning, that our magnificent
suffering has poured itself a tall
glass and sits in silence beside us.
Hillary Smith-Maddern (she/her) is an educator and committed dilettante. A proud cat lady and avid collector of neglected plants, she enjoys diving into the shallow end of everything and scrolling casually through JSTOR. Currently residing in Western Massachusetts, she aspires to fake her death and never return to America. She will obviously take her cats with her. You can find her work in Whale Road Review, Only Poems, and The Disappointed Housewife among others.
THE CITY KEY 