上海夏天

it was the hottest summer of my life. cycling every day instead of walking to escape the ultraviolet light. trying not to get hit by a scooter. watching the powerlines liquefy across the rooftops, drinking three cups of warm water and then going out again. pausing at the park to see the turtles. cooling down in the sharp grey of the metro station, taking the wrong exit before the right exit. talking to my brother on video call about the urban heat effect. finding shade in the garden, under curled roofs and golden lions. buying mahjong hair clips at the souvenir store. telling everyone how beautiful the mountains are back home, going to sleep and dreaming of being able to see past the end of the river, can you hear the typhoon coming? the air con running softly on quiet mode all night, i am not going to get much money back from my electricity deposit, am i. writing the same characters over and over again in the hope that, this time, i will remember everything. crying sundrops like teardrops and telling everyone, i have to go home now. realising i was so worried about the middle that i forgot to worry about the end.

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Emma Shi (石艾玛) is a writer based in Pōneke Wellington. She has appeared in journals such as Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook and Starling. Emma is the editor of Lemon Juice, a zine series on poetry form and breaking the form.