Brandon Marlon
Reading Between the Lines
Dear Writer (no-name treatment bodes ill; poor sap,
recognize the kiss of death or read on at your own peril),
Thank you for your submission of “10 Poems”
to Reprobate Quarterly (we have a strict 2-poem limit).
While we certainly appreciate having had
the opportunity to review your poems,
especially “The Elated Onanist in Apt. #12B”,
unfortunately we must pass on your submission
at this time (or at any time, in case you were wondering).
As you can imagine, we receive many more
submissions than we can possibly publish,
and due to editorial limitations we must
regularly decline works of tremendous merit
(though that hardly pertains in this instance).
This is not a reflection of the quality of your work
(rather, of the disturbed mind that produced it).
We invite you to submit again after six months
(by which time we may have recovered).
If you haven’t already, please do subscribe
to our journal (just because we exclude your work
doesn’t mean we won’t exact your dough).
Best (of luck shopping around such drivel),
The Editors (jejune poseurs in mismatched pajamas)
About the writer:
Brandon Marlon is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. He received his B.A. in Drama & English from the University of Toronto and his M.A. in English from the University of Victoria. His poetry was awarded the Harry Hoyt Lacey Prize in Poetry (Fall 2015), and his writing has been published in 225+ publications in 28 countries.
Image: Untitled by Cyril Larvor. No medium specified. No size specified. By 2019. By permission.
