Last night, I dreamed

that hordes of men were roaming

the streets of my neighborhood carrying rifles,

donning red like badges of honor.

Outside the store today,

I saw them again

those same men,

smugness dripping

from their faces

like oil.

The flags.

The red.

We showed you!

Fully out of the shadows

now, they stand

no longer relegated to the ashes

of history.

We are out

of the shadows, too.

For good.

We stand

in the light, blazing with our blue

fire.

 

*

 

Leila Emery earned her B.A. in comparative literature from Smith College and her M.A. in poetry from Johns Hopkins. Her work has appeared in Lines + Stars, 95Notes, Abbey, and poetryfish.