rosy-cheeked and
cut throat, arranged
carefully under spring skies,
dehydrated foliage and
frantic limbs
our euphoria is
at the bottom of the bottle
in prairie winds less harsh
and flesh less purple
our cue to claw up through
the depths where
they all thought
we went to die
sky opens,
empties.
park a cube van
outside a travelodge
smack dab in the middle
of the fraser valley.
a fugitive in
a storm near
a mountain.
make a career out of
pleading no contest.
door opens when
you put a key in it.
it’s a freedom that
takes some adjusting.
--
Sydney McNeill is a 24-year-old poet from Edmonton, Canada. She lives in the small moments that slip through everyone's fingertips all the time. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in several print and online publications, including Vagabond City and the Black & Blue Anthology. Self-published collections can be found at sydneymcneillwrites.com. She also maintains a glittery passion project known as Sea Foam Mag, a growing collection of inclusive art by people everywhere.