You Don't Have to Leave, by Dustin Radke

Poetry, chapbook, 32 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

You Don’t Have to Leave is a collection that lingers in the space between staying and going—between the impulse to hold on and the relief of letting go. Here, a feral cat refuses to leave the porch. A worm imagines a better love. An old Rav4 is breaking down but still carries two people to the beach.

These pieces unfold like soft confessions and passing jokes—small, vivid moments that drift between tenderness, estrangement, and almost humor. At its core, this chapbook reminds the reader that you can stay for a moment longer, even if in the end you know you’ll have to leave.

Dustin Radke is originally from St. Louis, Missouri. His work has appeared in such places as the McNeese Review and Kelp Journal. Radke currently lives in Santa Barbara, California and can be found on Instagram @dustin_radke.