nuns still teach abstinence in school,

written on the blackboard in thick

block letters. “Kissing is bad, too,”

they tell the sixth graders, who like

neither themselves nor each other.

On the first day of summer,

the kids run nude through the sprinklers

escaping heat and God, together.

Somewhere, nuns fan themselves

with pages from Revelations,

their sweaty habits a pile on the floor.

 

 

About the Author

Danny Duffy · University of Florida

Danny Duffy earned his BA in English and International Studies from the University of Florida. He owns an antique typewriter that he is too afraid to use. “Somewhere in Mississippi” first appeared in TEA. 

About the Artist

Emily Hill · University of Minnesota

Emily Hill is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities where she studies graphic design and art. Emily currently illustrates for the Wake Magazine on campus, as well as displaying her art at the Soap Factory art gallery in Minneapolis. “Small House Near Somewhere” first appeared in Ivory Tower.