Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I’ll make the most of it, I’m an extraordinary machine
– Fiona Apple, “Extraordinary Machine”

That’s certainly not a winter or holiday lyric, but it is a lyric that resonated with me throughout 2025. Years ago, once I heard Fiona’s cover of Turner Layton’s 1918 hit “After You’ve Gone,” I also fell in love with her covers of Cy Coleman, Cole Porter, and Bill Withers. Of course, I also love her original work. All of this is to say, 2025 is coming to an end, but there’s still a few more days to make the most of it. 

I hum and sing when I’m nervous, and I spent a lot of time being nervous while out on medical leave more than once this year. (I am sure I will write about this in the future. For now, all is well.) Whenever a song appears to me like this, I trust that the music is right. I feel the same way about random lines of poetry that I’ve carried with me for many years. 

Storytelling is medicine. 

Our Poetry queue was long and lush this year. These stories were just what we and others needed. We published twice as much work in our recent issues, Fall 2025 and PM Edition. You can expect the same this issue, as well as the Spring and Summer issues. 

The poetry in this issue invites readers to reflect on the complexity of relationships and desire, our relationship with ourselves and our bodies, and the relationship we have with the natural world that also contains us. Like the season, these quieter poems are closer to home, closer to our unguarded selves.

Kristen Field, “Carson McCullers was not married when she died, but she did tell Tennessee Williams that she had sex with Gypsy Rose Lee“

Jeffrey Hermann, “32 Degrees Exactly“

JoAnna Scandiffio, “Matchbooks“

Steven O. Young Jr., “Pick Me“

John A. Nieves, “The Gloom Spices“

Joshua Zeitler, “Afterimage“

JR and I have marveled over the strength and beauty in the work that was sent our way this year. Although we couldn’t publish everything that touched our hearts, we hope to see these poems out in the world with other great publications. 

Warmest wishes,
Angela M. Brommel
Editor-in-Chief
Poetry Editor
The Citron Review