NATE MAXSON
YOUTH/ASH
By fire I dreamed you sincere
With antlers on your head
That cast spindling shadows in the ashes
I couldn’t tell if they were a ceremonial crown or a mutation
Wearing my old blue, plaid shirt
Oversized and wrapped around almost the entirety of your tender frame
Like a cloak
The firepit, Halloween exhalation
Laughing lights across your belly
Nate Maxson is a writer and performance artist. The author of several collections of poetry, he lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.