Quarry

The sun looks higher here by the quarry

Daylight savings a forgotten grumble
for the sleep-deprived days of yestermonth.

The time is truly 6:49, but soon the
biddies and the babies will start winding down in their copy-paste townhouses

architecturally distinct from the rowhomes of the city to which they rarely venture
short of a here-and-there First Friday
and maybe an O’s game.

I’ll be awake for a while now,
investing these savings so I have
more to spare come November.

The Redwoods of New York City

There are many sights to see on this lovely planet.
There are many Jeeps to take on this safari.

In this terrain, where chromosomes are spelled with twigs
and plumbing systems blossom the grandest of edifices

a steel beam erects from cement
its daunting burnished bole dappling the concrete below
for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.

Jenna Cipolloni is a poet and filmmaker who works in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. Their words have appeared in Gargoyle Magazine, Steel Jackdaw, the 2025 Georgetown University Writing Climate Symposium, and their self-published zine “School Nights,” whose poetry was featured in Gallery 220’s “Whispers of Longing” exhibition in Havre de Grace, MD. In 2024 Jenna was a prelim judge at the Womxn of the World Poetry Slam and served on the committee to select Maryland’s poet laureate. They can be found at open mics across the Mid-Atlantic.

Image: Hollowayvideo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons