as the sun rises i wrap
black leather straps around my left arm
pulling them tighter each of the 7 times
my arm like an off tune piano

the black alternating with the white
never sure which notes will hit right           (and reach You)

i tie myself to God most mornings
it doesn't hurt but the marks linger

your shoelaces are a little too big for me
the boxes of Your words perch haphazardly on my queerness but

they don’t fit anyone really

Rana Bickel (she/her) is a queer Jewish poet from Maryland residing in Chicago. She is a recent graduate of Barnard College where she was a member of the slam poetry team. She loves books, community, and rainstorms.