Z Bell
imagine having found me in your conversation
you’ll think it’s wine
my tongue slurred, moving in the wrong directions
i’ll giggle with tight lips, trying not to wet you
but knowing it’s mine, i’ll push out my cheeks
and smile with my eyes
you’ll justify that it’s cute, you think it’s charming
that i can still talk to you like this
with a mouth full of hold
you’ll forgive that everyone’s a little different
but we’re both in the same room right now so
there must be a good reason that from
certain angles, in certain light
i look the same, just in a lot more pain
when you tilt your head, your partner’s shoulder
catches the weight
if i move too suddenly
i just spill
Z Bell (gender pronouns: they/them & he/him) is Bright and Lovely and does not give all the credit to the sun. Their writing invites a collective witnessing of experiences that hurt so much, they demand growth in spirit and heart. Their music and hip-hop give us all permission to believe in alchemy, too. Z is a Black, transMasculine, disabled, queer femmeBoi from New Haven, CT who enjoys eating ginger, strolling through snowy winters, and smoking organic herbal blends through a wooden pipe like a Grandpa.
Artwork by Book Karnjanakit, former Literary Illustrator Intern
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