Two Lino-Poems by Alexis Aceves Garcia

TO BE A CLOUD W/ YOU

We move slow over grassy hills 
sleep deep in the untethered  
weather February Pisces season unhinge  
silly brass, together n reckless  
tiramisu @ 1pm EST T4T (turtle4turtle) 
you play plush rough w/ dreamy eyes 
retreat in yr city our home 
shaved necks under palms 
soft early winter moon rain 
tapping windowpane pulse I put 
yr hand on my humming while 
the finches dance branches 
thru logic wind n possibility all 
of time wrapped around our perfect 
mouths

 

I’M LEARNING HOW TO ASK YOU TO

all the YouTube tarot readers tell me I’m self sufficient n all the astrology readers tell me I’m independent n my mom doesn’t ask for help all that much actually n my therapist says that even self sufficient ppl need to be cared for n I’m afraid this whole time I’ve performed the sort of independence that makes me unreachable n who am I when you can reach me n is it ok that I’m working this out n wear a hat that says still learning so ppl know that n I need to be different this time if I want to be seen even tho I don’t want everyone to see me n I’m shaving my head again a 3 week molt n I admit I enjoy the blades on my skull on a call during sunset on a Sunday in February after putting a farmer’s market blueberry in my mouth n bringing it up to the phone’s front facing camera for you to eat from my lips from yr front facing camera n this intimacy has me out here like that n each time I communicate my want I feel closer to myself n the blueberry’s center tastes better from yr mouth but I offer mine n ask you to          

 

Alexis Aceves Garcia centers care in their work as a writer, co-curator of already felt: poems in revolt & bounty, and managing editor of Deem Journal. They are currently the steward of a heart-shaped hummingbird feeder in their Abuela’s backyard and an MFA in Writing student at UCSD. You can find their poems in beestung, The Hennepin Review, The Best of the Net Anthology 2022, Apogee Journal, Peach Mag, and The BreakBeat Poets Volume 4: LatiNext, with poems forthcoming in rivulet. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter @loveloaf_.