The Courier
by Brook Bhagat
There is a message in the bottle. I could tell you
How the foreign language label showed
a woman in a corset, winking, faded red
ringlets singing to her shoulders
How its cork smelled of sandalwood,
even through the soil, even after the knawing
of night creatures on the edges
How I found it with the shovel after
the thaw, trying again to rip out the roots
of the elm who would break the foundation
How I took off my gloves to rub it clean and
the indigo glass let in just enough light
to see the paper, curled in the silence inside
But it will be better to open it yourself.
About the Author
Brook Bhagat’s poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and humor have appeared in Monkeybicycle, Empty Mirror Magazine, Rat's Ass Review, and other journals and anthologies. She is a founding editor of Blue Planet Journal, and she is the 2020 winner of A Story in 100 Words’ nature writing contest. She holds an MFA from Lindenwood University, is an assistant professor of English at a community college, and is writing a novel. Her poetry collection, Only Flying, is due out Nov. 16, 2021 from Unsolicited Press. See more at brook-bhagat.com or reach her on Twitter at @BrookBhagat.