AUTHOR'S NOTE:

“Sans Toi” (without you) was built on the notion of looking upon life as a thing in passing. The speaker is addressing another person, which opens the door to at least two interpretations: either the speaking is addressing herself (reflecting on her life being lived), or interpreting the actions of someone else. I think both interpretations are valid. In either case, there is an immense, unutterable loss. I tried to develop some mysterious, shimmering past coupled with that loss–the idea that once, something very perfect did in fact exist for the speaker– and that memory is treasured beyond reason.

BIO:

Tasha Cotter's work has recently appeared in or is forthcoming in Booth, Country Dog Review, Contrary Magazine, and elsewhere. Her fiction was recently nominated for a storySouth Million Writers award, and her poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net Anthology. Her chapbook of poetry, That Bird Your Heart, is forthcoming with Finishing Line Press.