the other night you found me in my binary shell:
one finger dancing over the emergency sos switch on my phone
the other being dragged around by unwanted thoughts
one glance at the hips of my shadow
and i want to sink into the darkness with it
i felt your presence before I saw you
heard the familiar language of women’s wails i’m fluent in
the silent steps of a stalking man i’m always watching out for
both things that I want from you
i envy your dreadful duality
how you are both the feral bitch my dad wants me to be
and the hollow hound i inherited from my mom
you crossed the street as quickly as you had crossed my mind
so quickly phasing in and out of the sludge of feminine and masculine
like how the moon phases from menstruation to werewolves
but as quickly as you lept from the shadows
as an effigy encompassing both truth and lie
you disappeared again
leaving me on the street
unhatched once more
Sage Futrell (she/they) is a college student from Virginia, US. They currently help out many of William & Mary’s literary publications, including LIPS (a sexuality-themed zine) and the Dog Street Journal (a pop culture magazine). In the past, they have received ac- colades from the Scholastic Art & Writing awards for their poetry, along with publication in various litmags. Among their favorite poets are Elizabeth Bishop and Jason Reynolds. Aside from creating art, Sage enjoys antiquing and over-analyzing media.