Emma Hastie moved to Toronto From Calgary, Alberta and realized she might have been a city girl trapped in a small town. She likes to consider herself a Jack of all trades while blatantly ignoring the latter part of the saying. She loves poetry almost as much as she loves Maynard’s Fuzzy Peaches and likes to spend her spare time worrying about everything else she should be doing right now. Connect with her on Twitter: @thatwashastie

Bus Stop

There’s this beggar lady at my bus stop. Some people immediately see that she’s in the advanced stages of psychosis and give her the change from their pockets. But some don’t open up as easy, so she’ll bang her skull against the bus stop pole. Her forehead might even split open until blood rolls down her cheeks. She’s not asking anymore—now she’s performing. Folks get so profoundly uncomfortable that they can’t help but fess up some money for her. Success rates seem pretty high. Funny thing is though, I’ve never once heard her say “please.”

Lucy Miller is a sophomore at DePaul University in Chicago, working towards a degree in Creative Writing. Originally from the small town of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, she has written short stories since age four as a means of expression and escapism. With a strong passion for film, music, and literature, she is thrilled to finally let her very own work stand on its own. Connect with her on Twitter: @lvcymiller