I took a deep breath
And concealed the dreams
Flickering by the milky crescent.

The pink petals outside my black window
Sway like flags; my rouge seeped
In from the edges.

Therein lies an assertion of
Unbearable, leafy kisses.
Blind blades thrusted in a twig neck.
Vampiric licks gallop in

Their velvety clefts.
I become a patch of beaten skin.
The cobwebby folds rose a fumy flame for which
I wear against the glint of barb-wired eyes.

In the festive temple, a sacred prayer proposes
A toast
A cup of sap
Simmering a stampede of rusty foam and enormous
Burnt-black holes—

O; I am the goddess you are bound to invoke
With sacrifice. The dowry on a red bed and
A scoop of a lack of antidote,
Incapable,
In the incapable night,
Sending a secret signal to the hotel of dreams:
A room for two tonight
Pay you in person.

Julie Chow (she/her) is a junior at Barnard studying English and concentrating in creative writing. Recently, she has joined the Lost Women of Science Initiative to produce podcasts focusing on historically under-recognized women scientists. In her free time, she enjoys doodling, deep conversations, taking care of pets, and brewing citron tea. She can be found on Instagram and Facebook.