Artwork © Eric N. Peterson

 

So I Heard

So I heard
You’re in New York
have a girlfriend
and a dog
I heard it from someone
We both know
It wasn’t you
but hell, one day
We’ll meet again
There are so few of those
You stay in touch with
As the years start
To run on by
I found pictures of you
On the internet
You look the same
Same bullshit smile
Same charm
Under that haircut
You’ve worn for years
As if I saw you yesterday
Wonder if I would
Look different to you
I look different to me
I look happy
And relaxed
And generally, I look
Very good
Or so I heard 

 

Change and Stay the Same

I haven’t seen this kid
In two and a half years
We went to high school together
So, the whole night we shared our
After-graduation stories
Glasses of cognac
And our ashtray was full
I wanted to show him how I’ve changed
But I realized that some of me
Was still exactly as it was
And new things about me
May not have been visible
To his naked eye
Him and I still related
To each other as before
Not too distant
Not too close
And I wondered if he
Even saw anything
Different about me
The only difference
About him was that
He started smoking
It’s funny how
You think you have
Become a different person
Then you run into
Someone from your past
And see that you
Are always going
To stay who you are

 

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Pavel Frolov (He/Him) is a queer-identified performer and writer who just relocated to San Francisco after over 20 years in New York City. He holds a BA in Communication from Brooklyn College. Pavel’s poems and short stories have appeared online, including oddball magazine, and in print anthologies. Something great: He has his own drag webseries called Cooking with Natasha featuring poetry recipes I’ve written, the first season is on YouTube.

Eric N. Peterson is from Atlanta, Ga. He’s been drawing cartoons all his life. He leans towards the absurd, imaginative, and the surreal, as that’s where all the flavor is.