Remi Recchia
Remi Recchia is a trans poet and essayist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is a PhD candidate in English-Creative Writing at Oklahoma State University. He currently serves as an associate editor for the Cimarron Review and as the reviews editor for Gasher Journal. A four-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Remi’s work has appeared in World Literature Today, Best New Poets 2021, Columbia Online Journal, Harpur Palate, and Juked, among others. He holds an MFA in poetry from Bowling Green State University. Remi is the author of Quicksand/Stargazing (Cooper Dillon Books, 2021) and Sober (Red Bird Chapbooks, 2022).
Amuse-Bouche
The celery in my pocket amuses strangers.
I carry my own produce because I need
something to nurture, to feed, to dig
out of ash. Is it too much to ask?
I carry my own produce because I need
to feel like my warmth matters against blue-blooded
ash. Is it too much to ask?
Neighbor, do not deny me.
To feel like my warmth matters against blue blood,
I ask to babysit my neighbor’s tortoise.
Neighbor, do not deny me.
Do my apricots glow in the dark?
I ask to babysit my neighbor’s tortoise—
something to nurture, to feed, to dig.
Do my apricots glow in the dark?
The celery in my pocket amuses strangers.