in the frozen garden

a poem by dre levant

my lily-ghosts

have eyes. 

  | they stare from the sill |

pretty white eyes | like candles burned too low | 

and yellow tongues | snake tongues? | i –

hush, i’m writing letters, 

but they crumple before i finish – 

dear, dearest, there’s dirt 

in the ink, and i’m –

i’m rooted to this,

this wood table 

and lace cuffs 

smudged 

with mud from the garden the garden 

the garden – lily-ghosts, please,

  | their stems brush my knuckles |

  | their tongues lance my neck |

i’m

crumpling     in petal 

silhouettes  |  bury my letters

in my  |  in the  | 

         frozen garden .

dre levant (he/they) is a trans masc writer, artist, and cozy blanket collector. his work has been published in fifth wheel press, body fluids lit mag, dollar store mag, and more. his debut poetry chapbook, "icarus rising" is available now through kith books.