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A Poem by Amber Atiya

A Poem by Amber Atiya

Author: Poetry Editor

March 3, 2016

This week, a poem by Amber Atiya.

 

arizona is a dream state

 

a large buck crushed by the grill

of a gray pick-up           no one notices

how the clouds bridal, ache

to be given away, adored

to a new tribe, trees suicidal

when it heat waves & i hallucinate

smoke rising from the heart

of pomelo, butterflied ruby, singed

blond of the rind, know then

my nephew has crossed over, mistake

night for the underbelly of a spider

the false borders of animal of soil

of cactus of tar in brooklyn

the very air’s gone vegan & vintage

blocks from where my family mourns–

who will hold them in a city

where solace’s one good arm

swells when it rains?           on a bus

two thousand miles from red

hook screaming the name of my dead

& before a silent choir

of mountains                     i unsheet him

——

AMBER ATIYA is the author of the fierce bums of doo-wop. A native Brooklynite, she is a member of a women’s writing group that will be celebrating 14 years this spring.

Photo by Nivea Castro
Poetry Editor photo

About: Poetry Editor

Lambda Literary's Poetry Spotlight is currently closed for submissions.

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