Curves of Being
Nuance
is the way
a straight line bends
a little differently for everyone
the way space shows up
in things that have always
seemed unquestionably complete
the openings we need
so we may close those gaps.
Empathy
is the way
we fit our understanding
into someone else’s bend
the way cups fill up
without needing to be told
they were made to be vessels
the outpourings we hear
before they have been spoken.
Love
is the way
two bends or more
become one curve of knowing
the way lips turn up
in response to a face
saplings acknowledging light
the times we take a bow
to say thank you for seeing me.
Misunderstanding Change
Gayle hashtags free the nipple
as a reclaiming of self and space
of unjudged bodies for all people
In the basement of time, Dave finds elation
thrills himself, unable to understand
the seeming contradiction
He has never seen female skin
as the surface upon which
revolutions can begin
We have lost him to the endless sale
we may yet win his sons
and raise them to the power of Gayle
Chasing Green
see these new lanes?
the old ones have merged
to become the shoulder
where stopping is not allowed
even when you break down
no tears on the highway
whatever state you’re in
you know where the gas is?
step on it
keep thundering forward
work your ass off -
for blurs of distant victories
that may not be yours
but go! go! go!
the dream is fast fading
as the green presidents fly north
there are so many of us
on these rusty old bridges
six lane promises
to new fortunes
new lives
and permission
to one day stop
is there space there
for everyone?
no one slows down
no one waits
for an answer
because it’s weak
to brake
crashes are fatal
but the green presidents are running -
we’ll chase them for life.
You Are Loved
Those first hints of warmth
in the morning,
the first rays when they hit you,
they’ve been eight minutes
on their journey
and five billion years
in their making.
This heat has sought you
through a hundred million miles
of darkness
that knew no life.
Iz Mazano is a Zimbabwean poet who lives ucrrently in Western Massachsettes. His first book of poems will be published soon. It is inspired by the way technology shapes romantic relationships in the modern age.