POETRY

Uses for the Handkerchief

By Sabrina Spence     VOLUME 58 No. 4

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In case the gates are rusted shut.

In case the streets are brass instead of gold.

In case the robes are wrinkled and the halos dim.

In case the throne needs dusting and the feet to be washed.

In case Holy Water does not clean.

In case there is no easy rest.

In case grief transcends death.

In case her eyes water with a yearning for all the hands she can no longer hold.

In case the cup dribbles from her mouth down her chin.

In case the bread crumbles at the corner of her lip.

In case we cross the Jordan and there is nothing on the other side.


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SABRINA SPENCE is a poet, educator, and theatre-lover from Memphis, TN. Her poems have been published in NonBinary Review, Torch, Waxing & Waning, West Trestle Review, and elsewhere, as well as curated for exhibits at Connect Gallery in Chicago. Sabrina has performed spoken word for ALSAC / St. Jude, served as an Interactive Poet at Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and was named an honorable mention in the 2025 AWP Intro Journals Project. She holds an MFA from the University of Memphis.


VOLUME 58 No. 4