If my legs ever open again,
they will be cemented that way
and Hell will crawl between them,
make a nest.
Phoenix serenade me,
spring from ash to embarrassing ash,
graciously tindering me, tender aches, and all this for
a place to stop at and expand.

Rebirth at the cost of something eternally searing.
Only if something can get between me and myself,
would I consider the wings,
the binds and cinder blocks a good exchange for
the freedom that comes from being halved.

---

Angel Rosen (She/her)
Angel Rosen is a lesbian poet who can be found tweeting, reading, or watching the same five TV shows. She is the author of two poetry collections, Aurelia and Blake, and has recent work published by Olney, Acropolis, and Solstice Lit Mag.