Bridal Suite

He said he was going to hold my meat
(this horrible, crass stranger!) ransom
till I let him in on my process.

(Don’t tell him I’m processed.
Don’t tell him I’m the factory floor, the ransom
of hoof for heartbeat.) Sure, I’d like to meet

the flesh of myself someday. A private room meet
for self-discovery. I’ll process
in with a diaphanous train, then some

trumpet. Hark! I’ll proselytize there in my meat
dress, free of ransomware.

Isaiah Yonah Back-GaaL & Kurt David

Isaiah Yonah Back-Gaal (he/they) and Kurt David (he/him) are queer bosom buddies currently based in Columbus, OH, where they study creative writing, edit The Journal, and organize together. Their poetry has appeared in Black Warrior Review, Seventh Wave, and elsewhere.