Poetry: “constance chan” by Hannah Polinski
“the only constant in our friendship— / she’ll block me on facebook / after we go to a movie / a month or two passes in silence / then an invite for Taiwanese food”
This week, Hannah Polinski fearlessly delves into the nuances of queerness and friendship.
constance chan
we’re each other’s type—
second-gen, short-haired, left-leaning
i’ve known her before
& she’s known me
so we skip straight to assumptions
bisexual anti-racist who
(just happens)
to be dating ( ) men
(right now)
it’s not my favourite common denominator
but ( ) bodies must know how
& where to stand
or fall
the only constant in our friendship—
she’ll block me on facebook
after we go to a movie
a month or two passes in silence
then an invite for taiwanese food
i’m bothered at first then not at all
noodles are my favourite carb
& one of the few meals i can afford
we talk about books we’ve read
always trying to one-up each other. judith butler
sucker-punched by audre lorde. maggie nelson
stacked against jenny xie
we don’t mention how long it’s been since we last spoke
since the online status beside her name turned green
our spoons scraping the bottom of the bowl indicate
when it’s time to leave
we don’t hug at the end of the night
we’ve only hugged once
because our only alternative
was burning at the stake. neither of us had a lighter
Hannah Polinski
Hannah Polinski is a writer and filmmaker currently based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Using a feminist lens, her work explores familial memory, shifting landscapes, and expressions of sexuality. She exists online at hannahpolinski.com.
