the cats don’t care
if the rent goes up next year
right now the back door’s open
we tumble out
the sunlight’s merciless
mere buds on the branches
no feathers in the shade
the blue jay blares
succulents peep green
from puddingstone
I lay a blanket down
cold filters from the ground
my head, hurting in the glare
my head, too open to the air
Frances Donovan’s chapbook Mad Quick Hand of the Seashore was named a finalist in the 31st Lambda Literary Awards. Publication credits include The Rumpus, Snapdragon, and SWWIM. She holds an MFA in poetry from Lesley University, is a certified Poet Educator with Mass Poetry, and has appeared as a featured reader at numerous venues. She once drove a bulldozer in an LGBTQ+ Pride parade while wearing a bustier.
