Synkroniciti is excited to welcome Houstonian writer Leslie Archibald with two introspective poems, “Like Stars” and “Space.” Both are intimate portraits of traumatic spaces that many people experience and that are often censored from our narratives as if they are something to be ashamed of rather than something to heal. In “Like Stars,” Leslie shows us a sensitive young woman—it’s often the emotionally intelligent and receptive who suffer most intensely from trauma—struggling with overstimulation and the intensity of life. She is “A heat source looking for the coolness of disco ball skies.” Night gives her respite from daylight’s stress and harshness. “Space” speaks of a woman’s attempt to keep home safe in the face of a spouse’s abusive rage. “In these spaces forgiveness isn’t enough.” The silence and forbearance that many of us learned from previous generations, keeping appearances structured and immaculate, do not help us survive in abusive situations and can even enable bad behavior. Often the only healthy way to continue living is to leave, rather than allow ourselves to be exposed to too much pressure and pain. “You push and fill and push and fill until the door bursts open and the room empties, and you lie alone.” The imagery in these poems is haunting, yet direct; the alliteration and text rhythm are by turns energizing and soothing. Leslie’s vulnerability and imagination are sharp and present us with relatable personalities that encourage us to be empathetic and also to extend our kindness back to ourselves.
Read “Like Stars” and “Space” in Synkroniciti’s November 30th issue, “Space,” Vol. 5, No. 4, available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Leslie Archibald is a Houston-based writer bending genre and exploring multimedia literary projects. A University of Houston graduate, Leslie remains active in Houston’s writing community serving as board secretary/treasurer for Writespace, a Houston literary arts non-profit. When she is not writing (or working her day job), you may find her with her camera exploring and documenting Houston’s unique people and landscapes.
Leslie is the winner of the 2017 SRP Spider’s Web Flash fiction competition. Her winning piece “Sherry Baby” is included in the special section of Companion of the Ash. Her work also appears in Tales of Texas, Vol. 2 and The Best of Interstellar Flight Magazine: years 2, 3, and 4. Her poem, “She Dances in Indigo” was chosen for Color:Story2023.