this is to you, the freshly turned earth
ready to receive another young body
into american soil. you gape, swallow whole
drunk on thoughts and prayers and the tears
of a mother and father, ready for dissolution-
precipitation, adsorption-desorption, nutrients
born of flesh and skin, a mom in a heart tattoo
eaten by worms. life teems below the surface
this mycelial network which mirrors our queer lives
where everyone knows everyone’s business
and we hide from the light, holding hands
in shadow places, kissing and whispering
to each other in the dark.
Daniel Davis Aston, Derrick Rump, Kelly Loving
Ashley Paugh, Raymond Green,
Stanley Almodovar III, Amanda Alvear,
Oscar Aracena-Montero, Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala,
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, Martin Benitez Torres,
Antonio Brown, Darryl Burt II, Jonathan Camuy Vega,
Angel Candelario-Padro, Simon Carrillo Fernandez,
Juan Chavez-Martinez, Luis Conde,
Cory Connell, Tevin Crosby, Franky Dejesus Velazquez,
Deonka Drayton, Mercedez Flores, Peter Gonzalez-Cruz,
Juan Guerrero, Paul Henry, Frank Hernandez,
Miguel Honorato, Javier Jorge-Reyes, Jason Josaphat,
Eddie Justice, Anthony Laureano Disla, Christopher Leinonen,
Brenda Marquez McCool, Jean Mendez Perez,
Akyra Monet Murray, Kimberly Morris,
Jean Nieves Rodriguez, Luis Ocasio-Capo,
Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez, Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera,
Joel Rayon Paniagua, Enrique Rios Jr.,
Juan Rivera Velazquez, Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan,
Christopher Sanfeliz, Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado,
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, Edward Sotomayor Jr.,
Shane Tomlinson, Leroy Valentin Fernandez,
Luis Vielma, Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon,
Jerald Wright – say their names. shine a light
on queer lives, queer love forced too soon, too long
underground
Jem Henderson
22.11.22