Sanctuary
My grandmother cultivated roses,
they kept each other company
when my grandfather was away
attending to his business and his mistress.
She never cut a single one of them,
no desire for trophies in a vessel, but
when she was dying, they volunteered
to watch over her, from her night table.
Among flowers, sacrifice is a form of love.
*
Juan Pablo Mobili was born in Buenos Aires, adopted by New York, and, since January of 2025 he’s the Poet Laureate of Rockland County, New York. His poems appeared in The Louisville Review, Tupelo Quarterly, Ilanot Review, Hanging Loose and The Worcester Review, among others journals in United States as well as publications in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. He’s a recipient of multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, as well as an Honorable Mention from the International Human Rights Art Festival,. His chapbook, “Contraband,” was published in 2022.
So simply beautiful.
Beautiful.