Emerging BIWOC Poet Spotlight
This monthly series features poems by women of color in the early stages of their careers. It is our intention to create more space at Perugia for the work of BIWOC, and we hope using our modest platform to celebrate this work will expand the readership of the poets we spotlight. This series aligns with Perugia’s mission to support and promote emerging women poets; all the featured poems will be from BIWOC poets with no more than one published full-length collection. We’d love to hear from readers with suggestions for poems & poets to feature.
December 2020 Poet: Angelique Zobitz
This Country Will Require You to be Magical then Attempt to Burn You for Being a Witch
Girl-child, power-in-waiting, Revolution, this world will try to cleave you in half, reach inside— lay waste, leave you a bloody mess of seed, pulp, carved out meat— pick your bones attempt to harness your sweet for a world full of eager carrion birds. Transfigurate: flower, fruit, fire— unfurl an inferno curling coils down your devil back. Scorch them with your flame tongue. Remind them you predate evangelism; leave them ashes, burn them down— teach them our bodies are best left alone.
Source
Love Letters to The Revolution, American Poetry Journal, 2020
Poet bio
Angelique Zobitz (she/her/hers) is the author of the chapbook Love Letters to The Revolution (American Poetry Journal, 2020). She is a 2020 Pushcart Prize nominee, a 2020 Best New Poets nominee, a 2019 Black River Chapbook Competition finalist, and a five-time Best of the Net nominee. Her work appears in The Journal, Sugar House Review, Obsidian: Literature & Arts of the African Diaspora, and many other venues. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram: @angeliquezobitz