notdeermag
An American Fugue Of Neon Brain Matter, BD Salvas
I am the eurythmy dancer in the yellow wallpaper
A disfigured field of poppies and rue
Where the sacred deer
Goes feral only for a second
Seeing his coquettish reflection
Before the firing of pneumatic brain cells
I am the reflective artist in the pantomime box
Amber hair and too much tobacco
Smudged strategically
In the shape of clown eyes
Who has sucked the macrame dry
Unrefined sugar wilting across paisley convergences
And I am the feverish pair of glass blown lungs
In a droll sense of panic
In a retching state of ennuie
Intangible compendium in
The eye of a needle warped magnificently by flames
BD Salvas is a Black poet from Southern California. She uses her experiences as a Black queer person to write about sex, love, trauma, and nature. When she isn’t writing poetry, BD is likely to be analyzing classical literature or watching anime. Twitter: @BethDimanche