By Olivia Lehman
I turn everyone who ever bothered you into an animal of your choice.
I invent a watch that can pause the hour so morning stays twice as long.
I answer every question in the universe. Yes, you and the bluebirds both
are going to survive this. I know exactly what I am feeling and banish fear
to a beautiful island. I know how hard it is to be alone, so I visit once a year
with gifts & stories of all I’ve seen. There was a bald eagle flying among vultures.
There was a woman made of fire. There was a woman made of air. Fear tells me
he likes me better now that he can’t have me. I don’t let it go to my head.
With all my power I wonder what it would feel like to know nothing. So,
I transform into a ladybug and cling to your shirt. So sorry!
I mistook you for a flower.
Olivia Lehman is a lesbian poet based in Virginia. Her debut chapbook, “Alternate Summer Where No One Dies,” was released with Giallo Lit in 2021. Their poems can be found in Ghost City Press, the Oakland Arts Review, and beyond. Find her out in the woods or on twitter @dykconicpoetics.
