They Will Sew the Blue Sail

a nature compromised by systems | Raquel Gutiérrez

the summons               the sleepy run in

a run on sentence stops           an awkward wave

I rubbed my eyes

           and I didn’t know what to say

the next evening I find you

the you with the readymade

a story you recount to me about myself,

you sit me down         I listen.

I had ordered two drinks to avoid waiting

in line I cheated. I cut through for you

warranted all of my attention

           to ready an arrival

                      to toast

with bourbon and tepache

before you my skin broke         hung on a hook

behind my bedroom door

for far too long

and I took it off

and put it on,

and smoothed myself

down

I am my skin’s

rightful landscape.

You can walk through

                                 visit if you’d like

You can stay over too,

my bed is small         enough         my wingspan

in this expanse

there is room for you

your plaintive song calls out to me

stumbling into dream

while you         the corner of my bed

stroking my head

nursing my barren wastes back to better shapes;

restoring me back to a nature once compromised by systems