Written by Marielle Glasse.
Graphic by Quynhmai Tran.

–

There was a day when 

The night wet the grass and 

My feet came

Stomping in to crush it all

all those little green sprouts mocking our growth 

So we decided to play god

We kissed concrete 

We hit the ground to 

break it before 

 

It fell out from under us

The drop is not a fall if you move towards it

He said 

The blue air around him burned

Cruel and singing

Like that 

Thump. Thud.

Of life raging in our chests

As we raged along with it

 

12 wheels spinning as 

Fast as the world around us 

The world without us

The infinity we rejected

So we could build a new one

Our rules 

Our hands

Cut from moving so quickly

Cut from breaking the gusts to make a melody

 

He shaved his head 

He died his hair orange 

And I went red: all aflame in hunger

Boiling-bursting-splitting-

There were no questions

Only our voices like metal sheets 

Hitting 

The ground in thunder

 

The fear we learn 

Is an elastic band 

Tied to limbs 

That stretches but does not break

So we screamed Wage! 

Wage War!

And they snapped 

 

Ribboning out from our sides like wings