MICHAEL CHANG: 5 Poems
(CW: sexual content)
COCO CHANEL SEARCH & RESCUE
this 互相傷害
this reciprocal torture
bird brain
if you have this idea, i can, too
our sameness led us to fight, leads to these rows
you are a task, one that requires intense concentration but brings near-immediate relief
like pulling a splinter from a paw
you keep asking what i want but your two heads are distracting
a contract requires an offer & an acceptance
you broke it
GIN & MILK
in canada the drinking age varies across provinces & territories; could u imagine not caring across provinces?; exactement; nubile wunderkammer; package of sex overflowing at the front; pulverize me; detach from me only after u have come; i reveal too much to u; r u a witch; u think i am obsessive monster; i obsess over ur moons; ur rich semen; ur warpath, ur fabled instruments of destruction; ur wit, ur abundance; some foreign attachment; emerging from behind a zipper; w/o so much as a sigh; it is true obscenity; the tie-dyed terry cloth hugging his cock; thru the fabric looking like a hose; drinking him, devouring his progeny; the air is murderous; sometimes, when ur given a sign, it’s ur obligation to recognize it; to act on it; there is nothing i am looking forward to but going to the cheese shop; in total obscurity; swallowed by cheeses; the pungent smells; i can accept it but i wouldn’t say that i’m fine with it; what could be sadder than toting a bag of salad; acquitted; my dignity remains intact
STILL LIFE WITH SUNGLASSES AT NITE
“I am not empty; I am open” —Tranströmer (tr. Patty Crane)
whiteboys at meijer
boisterous & bare-chested
the familiar procession like rows of corn
or an affirmative-action protest
or deleted body-cam footage
the chosen one
reverse racism! in the flesh
opens like a fan
he gives in w/o violence
buys me vitaminwater & a pet lobster
reads a poem referring to mt. fuji as—simply!—fuji!
it makes me laugh, fuji like last-name-only boys
their flanks hard & shapely
he puts some cheese on a nice plate, makes it taste good—presentation is everything
we consummate our love after watching the 2013 documentary blackfish
i am briefly his stooge, we harvest the purest form of love
he smiles tight as a muzzle, grins only make sense on white faces
need to break this all-or-nothing habit
you know what they say
white ppl masters at self-hypnosis
tall boys need bigger coffins
明太子 MENTAIKO
the chinese character for poetry is the death of a party // how they changed the weather for the olympics // the ballpeen // bad head + a beef bowl // the word seminal makes me laugh // let the cum rest inside ur eyelids // forever starts when u stop caring // community is cute when u have nothing else // like the inside of a martian // rows of stuffed animals // move to england // make some tea // it’s really going to happen soon // u didn’t do anything wrong // not really // ashbery i like but u kinda have to read it in a haze // frank’s cold water flat let it wash over u // kleinzahler u don’t even have to be sober // read it + watch mtv // poets love to tremble // murmur my 心路历程 // i just remembered a bad experience with someone named lavinia // it’s really rude to ask someone what do u feed that thing // ur prodigious touching + tugging on his organism // some poems are just lists of fungi // u say welfare // i think milk subsidies // we neck // we fog // we furious // we contrail // fire up the cuisinart // a poetic resignation letter // release the hounds // we are lost bunnies // man ray’s room service cart // liberace’s valet // blackmailing everyone in the building // i want to attract crystals // lavender + blush + disgusting limoncello // wonton boys wanton emulsions // so much meat // every word of this is bullshit
TOO GOOD FOR YOU & OTHER STORIES
“I think I made you up inside my head” —Sylvia Plath
too old to be a wunderkind. too cute to be a golem
i staged my bedroom to look like yours—more comfortable when we make babies
come feed me with your fingers. most men can’t see past the curls
god’s plan a dog’s breakfast—is it not in your service that i codeswitch from brilliant to genius
don’t be a drag. ride me like a rickshaw
is boring. she has a flash of insight once every 40 years
having received visual confirmation. this proof of life
you put out. tell him you’re horny in a stage whisper
once you’ve dispensed with—disposed of—the operative
you’re ready for the seafood special. that afternoon d-lite
you nitpick. look for bones in egg whites. i wanna hang out with you & your rainbow slides
poets love segments & orange anything—john’s sucking & fucking—now i have a bone to pick
it isn’t distracting if romance is the goal (romance should always be the goal)
wait for a sign. so big & ballsy
☺☺☺
MICHAEL CHANG is the author of several collections of poetry, including DRAKKAR NOIR (winner of the Bateau Press BOOM Chapbook Contest), CHINATOWN ROMEO (Ursus Americanus Press, 2021), as well as BOYFRIEND PERSPECTIVE (Really Serious Literature, 2021). Tapped to edit Lambda Literary's Emerge anthology, their poems have been nominated for Best New Poets, Best of the Net, & the Pushcart Prize. In 2021, they were awarded the Poetry Project's prestigious Brannan Prize.