Poetry by Alec Solomita

                      Ben Seidelman CC



Therapist

Nathan Seidman is what they call
these dark days, “a lovely man,”
foam-soft, voice like loam,
like the shuffle of leaves
in September. He understands
what he understands and waits
while you roll out your griefs
and nimbly transmutes them.
He leans back in his ergo (knows
a little Latin), resting his hands 
on his modest paunch, this young-
looking, sweet-faced, boy-man
with a Ph.D. You pause, he shifts,
and in a voice like mayonnaise
says, “What I hear you saying is …”
somewhat different from what
you said. He loves when you cry,
makes little noises of sympathy,
rolls toward you on his chair,
too close for the comfort that’s his aim,
mewing like a kitten. Lovely man.

​



Rain Dove

Also known as mourning dove
for its muted, round croon,
one of our most bountiful birds.
Pale feathered, slender, sometimes
spotted, it was your favorite.
And when you were a girl,
your favorite aunt,
a doggedly cheerful sort,
teased and teased, saying, “You
would love that sad old singer!”
Well, your mother was gone
and so I guess you would.
When the rain dove takes flight
its wings sing a different song,
a whirring kind of song.

​


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Alec Solomita’s stories and poems have appeared in many publications, including The Adirondack Review, The Southwest Review, The Galway Review, MockingHeart Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, The Blue Nib, and Bold+Italic. He was shortlisted by the Bridport Prize and Southword Journal and longlisted by the Over The Edge New Writer Contest 2019. More recently he was longlisted for the erbacce-prize 2020. His poetry chapbook, “Do Not Forsake Me,” was published in 2017. He lives in Massachusetts.