I am spending time with myself, loathing the thing, with August slicking my back. I have given myself entirely to the ground, grass imprinting my flesh. The blades hold me as I form shapes in the clouds—even the dark ones. A Mourning Dove cries for me and I sing.

BJ Louis’ poetry has appeared in numerous Red Penguin Anthologies, and his short fiction has been published in Bloom Literary Magazine. His works focus on themes of queerness and coming of age. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Hofstra University, where he currently teaches. He is from Long Island, New York.