Rosalie Hendon | Dinner at Allie’s

One dark winter night we gathered,
women and children
We ate by candlelight
from earthenware dishes,
shallow and heavy,
Something hearty, a stew or curry,
root vegetables and spices
Bellies full, we curled around
the heating vent on the floor,
tucked under blankets,
and read the twins picture books
We traced each illustration with our fingers,
lulling them to sleep with our voices

Rosalie Hendon (she/her) is an environmental project manager living in Columbus, Ohio. Her work is published in Ravens Perch, Quibble Lit, Sad Girls Diaries, Pollux, Blue Bottle, and Willawaw, among others. Rosalie is inspired by ecology, relationships, and stories passed down through generations.