MUD Ilona Martonfi

  Ilona Martonfi lives in Montreal, Canada. She is an editor, creative writing teacher and author of three poetry books entitled, Blue Poppy, Black Grass and The Snow Kimono. Forthcoming, Salt Bride, (Inanna Publications 2019). The Tempest (Inanna Publications 2020). Her work has published widely in chapbooks and numerous journals. She is the Artistic Director of The Yellow Door and Visual Arts Centre Readings. Recipient of the QWF 2010 Community Award.   The Ugliest Girl At that age, you grow wild irises in your elegyuse watercolours somewhere, some timewhat you might lose againbraids, polkadot ribbons, you repeat strophe after strophein careful self-sculptingit is a naked thingand then the rains come. “Who did you love, or lose?”No one hears. And you feel in every stone. Every note.Graft onto a childhoodeveryday family life your long, ungiving silencesdeciding to move on“I’m sorry,” you say,choose uglinesssee the grey streets and bombed-out homesmirrored in chalk hillsit’s not ordina