In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:
Regime
Malik Thompson (bio)
& the gods bring leaflets of nightshade to the slaughter.The virgins disrobe & huddle. Crests of ocean tremble& rise behind them—one expanse of blue beggingto reach another. Blade of obsidian, pommelof petrified wood. Our dawn prayers chantedin concentric rings of sand. The moon drawsclose & grazes its lips against the tide. An incurvedrib-cage shudders beneath the knife.Crimson lilies open where the bodies lie,the tenderness of one priest as he sets them down.These flowers dissolve upon the white foam’sarrival, deep red brightening into brief coral.Sea birds call to one another as they wadeacross the warming sky. Pelican.Opportunistic & beady-eyed gull. Will youbecome my angel for these grisly hours?Will you grant me wings as pure & featheredas your own? The priests crush the nightshadein blood & seawater. The gods pour the potionin their mouths & eyes. The gods sing withthe eyes of mothering does. A committeeof vultures will arrive here soon. & the boneswill sparkle—sun-bleached & stripped of flesh. [End Page 45]
Malik Thompson
Malik Thompson is a Black queer man from Washington, D.C. His work is featured or forthcoming in The Cincinnati Review, Denver Quarterly, Sundog Lit, Diode, MQR Mix-tape, Oroboro, Poet Lore, and other places. He has received support from Lambda Literary, Obsidian Foundation, Brooklyn Poets, Cave Canem, and other organizations.