by Melissa Eleftherion
those nights i woke
not knowing where i was
i could be anyone in the dark
deciduous
on the back of a male
my underparts streaked
i had crashed the party
graffiti splayed me
like an open canvas
the only touchstone
the words
painted above me on smooth cement
My diagnosis.
The I among male warbler song.
Melissa Eleftherion (she/they) is a writer, a librarian, and a visual artist. Born & raised in Brooklyn, they are the author of four poetry collections: field guide to autobiography (The Operating System, 2018), gutter rainbows (Querencia Press, 2024), Suture (Cooper Dillon, 2026) & Malocchia (White Stag, 2026). Recent work is available at www.apoetlibrarian.wordpress.com.
A-minor 