TWO POEMS by MICHY WOODWARD
jellybean
what’s my karma
for lying about a train delay
swallowing subway air
mouth to mouth harm reduction
the kiss outside of c’mon everybody
the weight of a wet goodbye
I love a collective jay walk
we move in unison
pantomimes on a makeshift crosswalk
like one big inside joke
I pretend to be an atheist
when really I believe in
angels in Harlem
angels who leave flowers
on my doorstep
angels embedded in
the age of aquarius
angels who wear braids
the embodiment
of unwavering grace
I held the door for a man
who called me jellybean
so now that’s what I call you
tiger balm
the sky slipped beneath her feet and stars drenched in rings of gold cradled her. i satisfied the sweetness until early morning. listened to Victoria Monet while it rained. a flirtatious marriage of teasing and giving in. slowness as opposition to wildfire. her sighs so gentle it felt like knowing the softness of snow in a flurry of temporary respite. hiding under the covers giggling. pancakes and pie at 1am. the popcorn i place in your lap. the contents of your telfar bag. the lies we tell ourselves. the knowing feeling. i’m rooting for us in every season.
Michy Woodward (she/her) is a queer, mixed-race Asian-American Brooklyn based writer and artist who runs a personal essay & poetry focused newsletter called Beat & Beatnik. Her poetry has been published or is forthcoming in Queerlings, Lavender Review, and The Amazine. You can find her on Instagram @michywoodward.