IN ANOTHER LIFE by KB

I imagine us at the mountain-temple

being worshipped by snow & dew. We wander

like wanderers do looking for moments

when our shadows bleed into each other. I never

thought the absence of dirt would do what I’ve been meaning

to do; like any common skeptic I’ve felt nothing

from the lip-touch of any human-girl, but when the air

between us feels short & synched, I imagine our skin dancing

at the gates of heaven -- it’s like we trained for this. Our kiss

relegates the willows to point upward -- transcends monotonous growth

of poplar trees. Our hand in each other’s hand makes descendants

green with exultance; the motif of romance suited for the dead.

We look out into our conquered world, ready to rename

the colors. This plane is our matter. We re-gender the body of love here.

---

KB [they/them] is a Black queer nonbinary poet, editor, and educator. They’ve received fellowships from Texas Christian University, Lambda Literary, Winter Tangerine, The Speakeasy Project, and UTSA’s African American Literatures and Cultures Institute. Their poetry appears or is forthcoming in a number of publications including Foglifter, The Shade Journal, Damaged Goods Press, Rising Phoenix Review, and Kallisto Gaia Press’ 2020 Texas Poetry Calendar. When they’re not blessing stages or writing pages, they serve as a Teaching Artist for Creative Action and the Austin Library Foundation, Curator/Host of the open mic/reading series Austin Interfaces, Assistant Editor for Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Associate Poetry Editor for fields Magazine, and proud member of Lenguas Loc@s Writers Collective.

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