STIRRING
Founded in 1999, Stirring is one of the oldest continuously publishing journals on the internet.
Stirring is an electronic quarterly journal.
Founded in 1999, Stirring is one of the oldest continuously publishing journals on the internet.
Stirring is an electronic quarterly journal.
JJ LYNNE
The bat broke in
through cracked wood slats
in the attic, made a nest
in a bin of stuffed creatures
that it grew to love
as companions. Is it so easy
as that – making friends?
I’ve never known the process
to be accomplished simply
by being present.
The bat could teach me
a thing or two about what
it means to be charismatic,
to open one’s wings as
a welcome mat and hold fast
to each body that crosses it.
Not all bats seek blood to drain it.
Some simply crave the croon
of a pulse against hungry skin.
I understand. The flesh stretched over
this cave is ravenous.
JJ Lynne is a poet and photographer who makes a living as owner of the popular Etsy shop All You Need is Pug. Her artwork has appeared in CALYX, Muzzle, PANK, and The Brooklyn Quarterly, while her writing can be found in apt, Hobart, Rust + Moth, and Spry, among others. Both her photography & poetry have previously appeared in Stirring. JJ is co-editor of poetry for the literary journal Paper Nautilus. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two rambunctious rescue dogs.
