reclaim (written for LGBTQ graduation at the University of Arizona, 2009)

go. be like a giant, and go there singing.
carry concrete and in the other hand, carry water.
share not only teeth, but all the edges of your mouth.

go there, and be useful, hold up a mirror.
cartographer, be a dream, and go there dreaming.
in the shape of a spoon to draw the drawbridge, then spill out.

go. be like a garden, and demand more weeding.
demand a fire extinguisher. a welcome mat. sequins.
in every room demand a doorway. a window. a world.

go. be like a drag queen, and stop the bleeding.
rescue fear from the throats of the almost dead.
retrieve misplaced sharp things from the lungs, the heart, the word.

go there, and be critical, be beyonce.
terrorize simplicity. sit on a stairway and think of nothing.
bathe in all the liquid that still struggles in our chests.

go. be like a god, and make a lovely mess of things.
go. be like a telephone wire, give someone sturdy.
go. be like the flying thing not flying, and seek rest.