José Sotolongo

José Sotolongo was born in Cuba. His prose and poetry have appeared in several publications, including Atticus Review, Blue Fifth Review, The Southampton Review, and Third Coast Magazine. His fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Small Fiction of 2019. The Scented Chrysalis, a novel, was released in 2019.

The Moon In January

A sliver of silver up in the sky
She flaunts her glow to fawning stars
A vain, curved needle hovering high:
The upholstery tool my grannie used
To jab me when I was bad
Like the time at the bistro
When all I wanted was fried eggs
And because the waiter smirked
She laughed in complicit derision
Which was worse than the needle.