Amy Jannotti
MILKJELLY
the point is to look naked, see also
leafless, see also without
milk nut like any other fruit: soak
drain, rinse, sweeten only if desired
we want so much of our bodies in jars
here I am, wet specimen can you trace
the teachable musculature of my tongue here I am
double-sided
translucent projectable can you tell
which veins return,
THE MELON & THE SEA
we have examples in the starfish: first vomit stomach
second, like a cactus grow horns
third, like nightingale bear seaward, out-soar death; the night
& its breath of white orchids hunger for our shadows
but we have example of the treetoads: purr & purr & purr
til the quiet cannot hold us we crawl
by example of the sea melon: slowly on tubed feet
preyed upon by wolves doubling as eels
they cannot coil us in their hungry, banded shadows; in the blue
we are cordless
Amy Jannotti (she/her) is a pile of dust in a trenchcoat living & writing in Philadelphia, where she received her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of the Arts. Her work has been featured in Burning House Press, Charge Magazine, & elsewhere.
She tweets @cursetheground