You Smell Like Outside
by Alexa Patrick
( → ) Verb 1. As in, to ride sky home 2. As in, to stick to the air 3. As in, to open to spring, or 4. be opened by spring 5. to persuade the sun to hand over its extra hour
( → ) Noun 1. As in, you, making the world generous 2. As in, bushes blushing yellow roses 3. As in, rock-rubbed palms turning into palm trees reaching for good weather, holding still birds, or 4. dragonflies or just 5. a shade of green, deep as kin
( → ) Adj. 1. As in, black: hopscotched and freeze-tagged and returned “it,” touched, fragrant as if the day chose you 2. As in, wild; your hair, mud-mopped by play. 3. I bury my nose in it, and your laughter calls me strange 4. As in, your youth grows long instead of old 5. Alive; your beautiful skin keeps what the wind let go
( → ) Noun 1. As in, you, making the world generous 2. As in, bushes blushing yellow roses 3. As in, rock-rubbed palms turning into palm trees reaching for good weather, holding still birds, or 4. dragonflies or just 5. a shade of green, deep as kin
( → ) Adj. 1. As in, black: hopscotched and freeze-tagged and returned “it,” touched, fragrant as if the day chose you 2. As in, wild; your hair, mud-mopped by play. 3. I bury my nose in it, and your laughter calls me strange 4. As in, your youth grows long instead of old 5. Alive; your beautiful skin keeps what the wind let go
Alexa Patrick (she/her) is a vocalist and poet from Connecticut. She holds fellowships from Cave Canem, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and more. Alexa is currently the Programs Director for Shout Mouse Press. In spring 2023, Alexa will make her stage production debut as Un/Sung in the opera We Shall Not Be Moved, directed by Kennedy Center Honors awardee Bill T. Jones. You may find her work in publications including Adroit, CRWN Magazine, and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic. Her debut collection Remedies for Disappearing will be published by Haymarket Books in June 2023. Visit alexapatrick.com for more.