By: Yucheng Tao
I stand against the sky to breathe,
watching the birds on the utility pole.
When the teenager arrives,
he strikes my body heavily,
as if disgusted with school.
He is the farmer’s son,
and now his life demands a breath.
I am a swaying toy, helpless as ever.
He prefers watching my skin peel off,
drifting away in the wind.
I lose a scrap of grace,
becoming dry grass, gradually decaying,
dwelling in the rain and snow.
When the teenager hits me,
I feel my straw limbs stiffen,
like a blues song losing its rhythm.
My mouth silences the urge to shout,
while in my heart, an innocent boy runs
through the boundless kingdom of mud.
In a world of noise,
I stand wordless, breathing against the sky,
gazing at the birds,
longing to stand or fly.
Yucheng Tao is a Chinese international student based in Los Angeles, where he studies songwriting. His work and has appeared in “Wild Court” (UK), “The Lake” (UK), “Red Ogre Review” (UK), “Aloka Magazine” (UK), “Cathexis Northwest Press,” and “NonBinary Review,” where he was also interviewed. He was named a semifinalist for the Winds of Asia Award by Kinsman Quarterly. His work has been featured in over twenty journals, including “Apocalypse Confidential,” “The Arcanist,” and more.