by Jess Chua
hurricane season new year same cycle
“rebuild” is the mantra instead of maybe taking a look at how
environmental destruction and overpopulation exacerbate the problem
ocean boiling TV blaring climate deniers rejoicing
another parcel of land turned into
another storage unit or mega size car wash
he said he snapped when he set fire to these new buildings
“Look at the Earth,” he said when asked why he did it
“We’re already burning it to the ground.”
Jess Chua is a writer and sketch artist. Her debut chapbook was published in 2023 by Bottlecap Press.
A Musepaper.org essay prize winner, her poems and flash fiction have appeared in 34th Parallel Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and Black Hare Press anthologies. She's currently working on some short stories and enjoys yoga and art books.
Her website is www.jesschua.com