The future form can play
A role unbecoming motif

One step up from pond scum
As a compliment

An empty martini glass towers over
A lipstick tube. Cherry red
Sequins fly by
The tiny window

Be still, my snowflake

Bamboo blooms everywhere
On earth at once
To return to the root

If I wait long enough
A man stands up on the roof

Erika Kielsgard lives in Brooklyn, NY. She received her MFA from Brooklyn College, where she teaches English literature and creative writing. Her poems have found generous homes in Bone Bouquet, Cordella Magazine, The Penn Review, and others.