poetry by kimani rose
glass wings
on the obsidian glass wing of a butterfly, i am standing on my tiptoes
young, territorial thing at the edge of desire
chipped shoulder heavy, tipping
waiting
lover, won’t you push me out?
spear me onto an elk’s antler and carry me off
bury doubt in twigs, we lost all need for it
climb up toward tree-safe house covered in light
name it a nirvana of most
the divinity sanctuary
more than me or you or them,
exalted agnostic peace
dream of the in between place
terrestrial sky shining with three moons you found in my chest
my mouth
my pussy
if i open my eyes too early,
the confessional walls crumble around me and i’m no longer on the edge of an obsidian wing
but the butterfly feeling you on her spine
walking between her perfect fluttering-dark wings
Kimani Rose has spent her time writing works where she could see herself and her experiences represented. Focused primarily on small presses and self-publishing, she works to make her art as accessible as possible. When describing her work, she says “Poetry is my first language. Everything I write feels like bleeding, feels like ripping myself apart and sewing myself back together with literal thread. I find myself in the darkness through poetry. I can move between this realm and the ancestral realm with my poetry, it seems. It’s the thing that makes me free.”