You came to me like a kid in a candy store, picking out your favorite treats. I remember sitting on a shelf, your eyes lighting
more loveAuthor: Kalina Smith
Kalina Smith (she/her) is a Pushcart Prize and Best Poet of Arkansas nominee. She teaches high school English, where she spends her days nurturing young storytellers and navigating the emotional labor of the classroom. Her work has appeared in Nebo, The Ignatian, FLARE: The Flagler Review, ONE ART: A Journal of Poetry, Tulsa Review, and many others, with work forthcoming in Arkansas Review and Dandy. She served as the poetry editor for Shadowplay during the Spring of 2025. Her first chapbook, Scorpio Season, was published by Kelsay Books. You can find her on Instagram @kalinasmithpoetry.