Erin Belieu was born and raised in Nebraska and is the author of five poetry collections, including Slant Six, named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times, and Come Hither Honeycomb (Copper Canyon Press, 2020). Belieu is cofounder of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts and the founder of the Writers Resist network. She teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Houston and for the Lesley University low-residency MFA program in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I Wake a Little Earlier Each Morning

by Erin Belieu

to find the trees
are taking prisoners again.

You’re certain that they’re
harmless, benign as a flock

of founding fathers, the same
dignified postures, dropping

gnomish blossoms from
their black palms—

People on couch
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