Cotton Xenomorph is a literary journal produced with the mission to showcase written and visual art while reducing language of oppression in our community. We are dedicated to uplifting new and established voices while engaging in thoughtful conversation around social justice.

A Pantoum of Yellow Fields

BY JASON B. CRAWFORD

For Tony

A field of yellow scatters the 1 AM community park

I am drunk therefore must be in love with you

The type of love that sticks to the back of the knees

midsummer and stays until the first fallen leaf

I am piss drunk off love for you

or the 5 shots of whiskey that smoke like

midsummer and stain the chest like drenched leaves

We roll around the dry grass, dogs shattering in heat

or the shots barreled into the moon still smoking

He asks if he could kiss me on the rough edge of my thigh

Roll around me like a field of shattered glass

and this time I am not too drunk to tell him yes

He asks if he could kiss my thighs like my ex used to

The type of love that sticks to the back of the knees

And this time I am not too drunk to tell him yes

To scatter myself bright yellow in this park at 1 AM


Jason B. Crawford (They/He) was born in Washington DC, raised in Lansing, MI. Their debut chapbook collection Summertime Fine is out through Variant Lit. Their second chapbook Twerkable Moments is out from Paper Nautilus Press. Their debut full length poetry collection Year of the Unicorn Kidz will be out in 2022 from Sundress Publications.

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