ORDINARY RIOT
morning wants some regular remoteness
I dress down to be an ordinary riot.
I scan a velvet myself. drip tomorrow
to the studded glow of lament. but not
the hat-trick of today.
turned out aphorism makes me
join. holy cafeteria, I rent a feral tux.
I myself am joined and tier my necks.
I ask after your garden, if she’s dawning
our charm, if you’re still playing
our game.
I combine dream and conversation
to be where we are. deregulate
my disguise in our google doc.
I let my cursor hover on your container,
it contains all my others.
I’ll take any cutlet, any wise feeling
to turn off my receipts. my targets
are busy, backs to the pulpit,
leaving us, to break open the air, alone.
ROSIE STOCKTON is a poet based in Los Angeles. Their first book, Permanent Volta, is the recipient of the 2019 Sawtooth Prize, and is forthcoming from Nightboat Books in 2021. Their poems have been published by Jubilat, Apogee, Social Text Journal, Mask Magazine, and WONDER.