SOMETHING ABT THE WAY
by Michael Chang
his aesthetic is queer steve bannon
if u lost an etro scarf it is mine now
blue paisley kerchief hanging from austin’s left pocket
hugging his bottom w/ the blond hairs
my feels prancing like scalamandre zebras
all zebraic in their frivolity
the salty breeze carrying what comes from my shorts
a heavenly whiff
if only u could see under
& behind my eyes
MICHAEL CHANG (they/them) is the author of several collections of poetry, including BOYFRIEND PERSPECTIVE (Really Serious Literature, 2021), ALMANAC OF USELESS TALENTS (CLASH Books, 2022), & SYNTHETIC JUNGLE (Northwestern University Press, 2023). Tapped to edit Lambda Literary's Emerge anthology, their poems have been nominated for Best New Poets, Best of the Net, & the Pushcart Prize. They were awarded the Poetry Project's prestigious Brannan Prize in 2021, & serve as a poetry editor at the acclaimed journal Fence.