Illustration by Erika Solway — *Illustration by* *Erika Solway*

Lana Del Rey croons through

a “Made For You” Spotify playlist

about cinnamon in her teeth, I swallow

an urge to cry that comes from nowhere,

so I put five drops of lavender

and bergamot orange, summery

essential oils, into the black

teardrop-shaped diffuser

and use a peppermint roll-on stick

around my temples in anticipation

of post-cry headaches. I want to believe

these oils can soothe my sads,

but all I feel is a craving

for something(one) sweet,

or maybe cherry Hubba Bubba gum

between my teeth.

David Ly is the author of Mythical Man, which was shortlisted for the 2021 ReLit Poetry Award. His sophomore poetry collection, Dream of Me as Water, is forthcoming in 2022. David is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine, part of the Anstruther Press Editorial Collective, and a Poetry Manuscript Consultant with The Writers’ Studio at SFU. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram.

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"I Want to Believe in Essential Oils" by David Ly