I punch a dent
in my refrigerator
to show the meteor
that I too owe
a debt to the crater

someone wanting
to stuff their face
full of bologna
sees and says
what the fuck
and I say fuck you
it’s baloney

the meteor notices
and is proud
She says
You’ve Got
To Cup
Your Hands
Underneath
The Evening

and I fall back
applauding
this mar of flame
across my body

Aliyah Cotton was born in Virginia in 1997. She received her BA from the University of Virginia and her MFA from Boston University. Her work has appeared in Spires, *Q Anthology of Queer Culture, and elsewhere.