in parentheses

Born at the foot of the Alamo and raised in New Orleans, ALEXANDRA GILLIAM earned her MFA in Creative Writing from California College of the Arts. She is the author of chapbook “Femmesturary” (dancing girl press, 2016). Visit her here.

Exile

I

be hair, cup up,
your mouth,
eyes, burning on water,
sweets, sweet water,

bodies,
bodies lipped water

bodies out your mouth

lip on god’s back

Be island
Be glass
Be a man with his hands up

mattress between two bodies

Exhaust broken down speech

underwear pinched
between toes

lull Y2K
lull yarn
lull yards
lull young
lull yes

lull it all back
underground

Cockfight, nails singing sand just art burning air—
I –only-need-to-feed-my-child-god-stop
Dream me up and spit me out this new head
Bones
something like unraveling

Crawlspace

forget what you know—levee breath—pavement fallen-—drowning
eye—water rip glass—I am sinking your hand—swallowing hymns— hang it in the middle —pull sound out of the kitchen—bundle roof over your shoulder—make shift religion—rattle coins down the hallway— water high

tell me how you really feel—blue—no wet bones—no bird song—handful of sun—hold my foot against the pavement—white flowers embroidered flag—to overflow—to go daughter in the head— mirror high— wave like cool—swollen from water —spellbound—jazz on skillet—magnolia right after it opens—rain on a pedal—call me bathroom graffiti—catch air—
snow milk—make a lake your hands— to go to her— speak