lilac bones from altar boy by printing shed

i have been growing lilac stems in my bones
to slow the progression of hardening where they've broken
i let the roots pull water from my skin
i'm dehydrated but i've let something good in

i have been stealing time from my old age
to compensate for all the time i lost as a kid
i was a rabbit digging in my pockets
for a watch to keep track and pulling dirt out instead

i have been running
drinking water from my palms
i think the dirt has it blessed

i have been running from sin my whole life
and tripping on the roots that grow
from the holes in my conscience
i'll hold the briar, crown of thorns in my pocket
as a nod to entanglement, the past, and what's ahead

• Folk
• cathedral
• queer
• trans
• Boston