OUR STRANGERS, BY ROBIN REAGLER

The elders construct no wings but say that they will fly.
A scratched sidewalk drives around the city. Clouds

Wilt. A skyscraper sprouts arms out of anger. An
Intruder yawns and retraces steps, perhaps his own.

So it is now that you confront the new now. You are
That place, a somewhere, an empty smell.

Mechanically—yes—you glance out at the music,
The cubes of air rocking the rose-colored atmosphere.

And gold and sky and gold sky are worth nothing. Your
Denial is not answerable. We are feathers.

NEXT

Robin Reagler is the author of Into The The (Backlash, 2021), winner of the Best Book Award, Teeth & Teeth (Headmistress, 2018), winner of the Charlotte Mew Prize selected by Natalie Diaz, and Dear Red Airplane (Seven Kitchens, 2011, 2018). She lives in Houston, Texas.