I have spent years
warding off evil from my chest.
I’m convinced that my heart —
once plump, pulping,
and dramatically impaled
by Cupid’s bow —
has since flattened
into a planchette.

I drag my planchette heart
across ouija boards —
and spell out your name
though I’ve buried you
a thousand times.
More incantations:
“R u here?”
“I still <3 u.”
“Gimme a sign.”

Not that you answer.
I swallow the sting
of my séance
being seen-zoned.

Arshi Mortuza is a writer and educator residing in the Greater Toronto Area. She is the author of One Minute Past Midnight and Pressed Flower. Her work has been featured in numerous literary outlets worldwide.