/a prevett

Survey

1. (Choose all that apply): When you dream about me—the whole of my pink weight, its lonelemongrove legs—what am I wearing?

1. [a] Suit of aphid nymphs

2. [b] Black one-piece w/ hip frills

3. [c] Something unfit for polite company

4. [d] Hiking gear

2. (Open-response: fifty-word max): How limp would each choice from question #1 be on these shoulders, how unbecoming of this sourskin?

3. (Open-response): If it is June 8th, and the sun sets at 9:30 pm, and you have been thinking of me for thirty-eight minutes and eleven seconds—at what angle do you picture my head tilting?

4. (Choose all that apply): What do I really need?

1. [a] a skirt of bruised knuckles

2. [b] a spider-silk crop-top

3. [c] something to leave to the imagination

4. [d] anything to make you wring your hands in anticipation of this gulching body

5. (Choose all that apply): What saddens me the most?

1. [a] Having only two hands to cover all this want.

2. [b] Option A

3. [c] Option A

6. (Tell me): In the scenario in question #3, where do your eyes linger longest?

7. (Tell me): How welcoming seems the cold ocean when seen through the stained glass of me?

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Coruscate

Today, I become a being of pure dignity. How to celebrate. I say girl and not a single eyebrow raises. Inside their shells, each yolk hardens at once. The sky reaches down a gray finger. I kiss it. From my womb, a new name is born. Its meaning: to pulse with hot beams. Then another name. And another name. They sound as they hit the floor like lemons. Another name. The thunk of them. Another name. Sunny and pocked and promising. Another name. How long will this go on. Another name. Another name. Gray sky. Another name. What should I do about the bruising. Another name. Another name. Which of these. Another name. Which of these belongs to me.

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a prevett (they/them) is a human from Atlanta. Their recent poems have been featured in or are forthcoming from Hobart, Redivider, Puerto del Sol, and others. They are pursuing an MFA from Georgia State University. You can find them online at alecprevett.com or on Twitter under the handle @a_prevett.