Erin O'daniel is a gender expansive Queer Writing in Duluth (stolen Anishinaabe land), Minnesota

Poetic Endings

The close of the year offers a trip to the east coast, which equals musicals, Pickle visit, more off the already topped (mega thanks to every writer who released literary magic into 2022!) charts reading, and poetry. Speaking of poems, always poems, here’s a wild sexy soft queer one from Rocket Fantastic by Gabrielle Calvocoressi.

She Ties My Bow Tie

What you thought was the sound of the deer drinking

at the base of the ravine was not their soft tongues

entering the water but my Love tying my bow tie.

We were in our little house just up from the ravine.

Forgive yourself. It’s easy to mistake her wrists

for the necks of deer. Her fingers move so deftly.

One could call them skittish, though not really because

they aren’t afriad of you. I know. You thought it was the deer

but they’re so far down you couldn’t possible hear them.

No, this is the breeze my Love makes when she ties me up

and sends me out into the world. Her breath

pulled taut and held until she’s through. I watch her

in the mirror, not even looking at me. She’s so focused

on the knot and how to loop the silk into a bow.

Southern Musk, Swedish Witches

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