On Being Gay in Yemassee

Despy Boutris's writing has been published or is forthcoming in Copper Nickel, Ploughshares, AGNI, Crazyhorse, American Poetry Review, The Gettysburg Review, Colorado Review, and elsewhere. Currently, she teaches at the University of Houston and serves as Editor-in-Chief of The West Review. "On Being Gay in Yemassee" was originally published in Folio. It is now a part of Short Édition's series, The Current.

Image of The Current - The Current
Originally published in Folio
I'll never forget us
entraining this freight at dusklight
to escape cabbage farms, rusted barns,
and Bible-barkers who stumble
through starrified nights.                                             

Will our fear follow us?
We poach peaches off pallets
and lick juicedrips off our lips,
like it's all we know,
on the road to salvation—

me, carving a heart into the wood
and you, a miracle
in the moonshine, grabbing hold
of my trembling hand
like maybe we're something holy.

© Short Édition - All Rights Reserved

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