Kenzie Allen, author of Cloud Missives (Tin House, 2024), is a first-generation descendant of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. She received her PhD in English and creative writing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and an MFA in poetry from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan. A recipient of the inaugural James Welch Prize for Indigenous Poets, she is an assistant professor of English at York University.

Whatever Is the Matter

by Kenzie Allen

My thought at the collarbone:
how the skin carries its light. One
breathable membrane, an onion
nerve filled and luminous. One half

a current-ridden circuit, one hollow
for these shoulders, curled spine. Wrists
undamaged and strong ankles, free
of any hurt. How I regret not opening
People on couch
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