Illustration by Camille Sensiba
In this city
the city of heaven
of Sirocco
you shall receive
a steady unyielding
stream of favors from
the lord.
presume your suffering
to be over your itinerant
life has begun we welcome
you to the caravan you
may mend the wheel for
a favor and the lord
your god shall grant it
you may enter —
we reject no one
save for those who
wish to keep others
in place inside those
who wish to settle our
bodies born to move
free as the salvific wind
to be calm is to die to
sit to stew is to sell
your magic seeds to
a necrotic landlord
our lord our god is no
figure of land or universe
but of body itself of
rustling skirts of polka dots
of stripes and shimmer and
shear and sweat and stubble
of sweet of mother and of
gentle gathering in the great
unknown
we welcome you to wear your clothes
or to shed them to sing with all the air
in your lungs or between breaths.
only do not settle. this city is the city
for those who refuse to be its dwellers
Gwendolyn Davison (she/her) is a sophomore in Columbia College majoring in history and concentrating in English. She enjoys baking, hula hooping, and writing in her free time.