Disorders & Dating Apps

In this debut collection exploring love in the time of Tinder, Hart examines the maze of dating, identity, and self discovery.

You dock yourself to me
while you drift in the waters of sleep
send ripples against me
with each inhale and exhale
I don't recoil at your hand
resting gently on my belly
letting you feel the fullness
of the space I occupy
Accustomed to being too much
I used to breathe shallow breaths
pull my stomach to my spine
shrink myself any way I could
I used to mind my angles
perception is everything
I would never lay comfortably on my side
because my belly would spill over
Laying on my back was much more flattering
But I found comfort in you
this safe harbor we've created
and the way your hand rests
gently on my belly.

L. Hart wrote her first story at six years old using her aunt's electric typewriter. Summoning the words to the page felt like magic, and she's been making magic since. Writing has been a constant in her life for nearly three decades. She writes for her younger self, the self that lived each painful and joyous page. L. believes in the sharing of stories, the ugly and the beautiful, and the power of vulnerability.