Commute

I stand with the god, rooted

beside me on the subway platform–

 

As the stage, I smear my face

with mourning grime.

My grinning,

 

sweet deerhead god licks their thumb

and forefinger and traces a line

of clean down

the bridge of my nose,

 

and I smell dry ice. I look

to my left, and women are

stepping

through the walls, climbing between

the tracks and they have

 

talons

and bright eyes, and are graceful

 

rippers.

I inch closer to the deerhead–

hold their cold marble hand, feel

 

talons in my forearm, talons in

my cheek, talons in the soft skin

of my diaphragm,

smiles in my eyes,blind in my fingers,

and a scream

and we are a pool and the underground

is on fire and floating and

the train comes

but we are stronger– we are crawling

we are crushing we are light we are

Joy this is joy this is joy this is joy…

Anna Laura Falvey (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based poet and theater artist. In 2020, she graduated from Bard College with degrees in Classics and Written Arts with specialization in ancient poetry and tragedy. She is currently serving as an ArtistYear Senior Fellow and resident teaching artist, teaching poetry in Queens, NY. Anna Laura has recently performed at The Tank NYC, and her written work has appeared in Icarus Magazine, issues 15, 16, 17, & 18 of Deep Overstock, and is forthcoming in the inaugural issue of Ouch! Collective (November 2022).