R.B. Simon is a queer, black disabled writer who has…
First let your mutable body
lie down in some untamed place,
let it find an imprint among
the dirt, the ants, and the grass,
knowing that it knows how
to return to this womb of its
own accord. Knowing that
it knows the grass like
the skin of a lover, softer
than suede, damp with
earth’s excitement at the
sun’s dewy blessing. Now
let your fingers trace the
braille bark of a branch,
let the feel of the warm
wood under your touch
tell you what it is
to be embodied. Lie still,
understanding that one day,
the earth will hold you closer
than your own skin, knowing
that this is not that day.
R.B. Simon is a queer, black disabled writer who has been published in multiple journals, among them pacificREVIEW, The Poetry Coop, Strange Horizons, Literary Mama, CALYX, and Obsidian. Her chapbook, The Good Truth, was released in July 2021 from Finishing Line Press, and was a Finalist in the WI Fellowship of Poets Chapbook Contest. Her upcoming full-length collection, Not Just the Fire, is forthcoming in March 2023 from Cornerstone Press. In her free time, she enjoys creating visual art, napping, and coffee-flavored caffeine. She is currently living in Madison, WI with her spouse and newborn daughter.