IN THE NICK OF TIME

1
I find the worst of all possible boys:
wet-cheeked, slack-jawed & big-tongued
(The duck puts down his coat) (The lake freezes over)
A heart-shaped void

2
Yearning for the soft caress of oppression
I’m a whore for brutality
It’s all fear
It seems gentle now

3
Thank God
A sigh of relief
I set myself free
We are orphans

4
We’ll always have New York, I write but don’t mean
Don’t call last min
Erase me
Leave only the alphabets

Michael Chang

MICHAEL CHANG (they/them) is the author of several collections of poetry, including ALMANAC OF USELESS TALENTS (CLASH Books, 2022) & SYNTHETIC JUNGLE (Northwestern University Press, 2023). Tapped to edit Lambda Literary's Emerge anthology, their poems have been nominated for Best New Poets, Best of the Net & the Pushcart Prize. They were awarded the Poetry Project's prestigious Brannan Prize & serve as a poetry editor at the acclaimed journal Fence.