The day belonged to the patrols
and informants posing as early morning roosters,
but the night was ours, distorted
guitars bursting through cheap speakers,
we were hummingbirds barely out of our cages,
fearing to be arrested for the unlicensed nectar in our beaks,
aware we’d be almost safe if we kept
our humming to a minimum.
Juan Pablo Mobili was born in Buenos Aires, and adopted by New York. His poems appeared in Tupelo Quarterly, Hanging Loose Magazine, Louisville Review and The Worcester Review, among others, as well as publications in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. He’s a recipient of multiple Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and an Honorable Mention from the International Human Rights Art Festival,. His chapbook, Contraband, was published in 2022. In January of 2025, he was appointed Poet Laureate of Rockland County, New York.
