Swallow a Beginning
I have a death wish. I wish death upon those who wish me ill
and look through my cellular walls, decide I am a nucleus weakened
from the world’s arsenal of surveillance. Do you see me through
impact ending life blood on your phone screen?
Do you feel it begin to burn when the crescent moons
of your nails pit the palms of your flesh in the fabric of this world?
How air flowing through your cracked nostril is eternal vigilance,
the price of victory, victory living out alive, two paths side to side
leading forever to hear your water fall. Here’s the thing;
I am a nucleus weakened from the world’s arsenal of surveillance
manipulated to what form sells the best reality, strongly threaded
to what raised me, the price to survive, build a new home in a crevice.
The world presses down pushed in forever, I leaned into edges
avoided; a terry cloth wrapped waist, light up ninja turtle sneakers,
rolled up skirts, page boy haircuts. Creating rules of my own reality,
I forever dripped sparkle on myself, roll on glitter dusted in diamonds,
mirrored fabric from a land only known from family stories. I’ve
built my way out of here, woven metal threads of fabric in this world.
Written By: Dena Rod
About the Author: Dena Rod is the Assistant Creative Nonfiction Editor for Homology Lit. Through creative nonfiction essays and poetry, Dena aims to illuminate their diasporic experiences of Iranian American heritage and queer identity, combating negative stereotypes of their intersections in the media. Catch them on Twitter @alightningrod, denarod.com, & on tour with Sister Spit this upcoming spring.
Visual Art “Samedi 01.12.2019, Toulouse” By: Katie Holmes
About the Artist: Born and raised in California, Katie Holmes is a photographer and art historian based out of San Francisco. Throughout her photography Katie strives to explore the fine line between imagination and the more spiritual aspects of reality, She has recently served as an artist in residence for Arts Atrium in Arles, France. IG: @katie_holmess
