Selma Carvalho’s fiction and poetry has been published in Litro, Lighthouse and Mechanics’ Institute Review (Birkbeck). Her work has appeared in several anthologies including the London Short Story Prize 2017 Anthology (Kingston University Press; 2018) for which she was a shortlist finalist. She has been placed in numerous short story competitions, most recently as runner-up for the Dinesh Allirajah Prize 2017 (Comma Press & UCLan). She is the winner of the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2018 (Dahlia Publishing).
Quilt me a blanket
of your rejections, tomorrow
I shall rise with the first
shavings of spring.
The robins have been
in the hollows
gathering dead leaves.
The cat has been awake
listening intently to our holly
hedgerow of romping green.
Winter’s leavings are still on
Brunswick limbs, some sightings
of sun have emboldened glistening
wasps to lie with galls bulging pink.
I seek hope in Easter leavenings,
reddening the underside
of your yearnings. Prise open your
rhubarb-red mouth and let my tongue
slide in.
Selma Carvalho
