Anthem for Cicadidae
By Ella Rous
January 24, 2024
You wouldn’t catch me dead
losing. I’m an Olympian. I don’t lose.
I don’t like the way they’re looking
I control my outcomes. I countat me. The dogs are bucking
my dollars, pool my assets, notchmy bedpost. I like testing my limits
their heads in the pit
like I like a shot in the hand, a line
of my stomach. My skin weeps
on the sink. I’m an Olympian. I’m a gold-medal winner. I have a to-do list
from my body in sleep,
and a nervous tic. Don’t come overthe soft fetal folds beating
now: I fell asleep still standing, likea lathered-up bad horse bathed
still. On waking, I burn
in the blue TV light. My bodythrough my days, a white wound
is a temple, but I’m a wrecking ball.I’m an Olympian. I’m an eight-year-old
wanting infection.
with Mod Podge, newspaper,I’ve done amateur surgery –
and a volcano due tomorrow. This must be what I’ve been looking
split myself wide open and spilling –
for: watching my properties on these white sheets, trying
accrue value, watching the champagnespray into the Pacific, watching
to get this lump out of my stomach.
my net worth billow like yacht sails Trying to feel empty. Trying to feel full.
in the wind. I’ll drop and give you100 right now. It’s game day,
My hands pool. My heart is a bird
and like I said, I don’t lose.and my body is north.
Layout: Melanie Huynh
Creative Director: Laurence Nguyen-Thai
Photographer: Amy Lee
Videographer: Maddie Abdalla
Stylists: Emily Wager, Saturn Eclair & Vi Cao
HMUA: Averie Wang
Models: Meryl Jiang & Vani Shah
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