I craved him so much, the hole in my chest
contracted to aperture. How I wanted to capture

his body in halogen bright.
If only his torso was ambered

in light. I once met a woman who covered
her portraits and paintings in blankets—

Monets and Manets, Picassos she’d set
aflame if anyone saw them. I want you; I want

to preserve you—like the taxidermist
who transforms a carcass to carrion cast,

the necrophile iconoclast. So many men raised me
from the dead, sheathing and unsheathing

desire’s weapon as though pumping
my blood through my breast.

I’d go blind if I could close my eyes and snapshot
his silhouette, convince myself his shadow

is mine, transfigure myself by sightless fuck
then only get fucked by memory. It sits still,

the body framed in glass and plastic, caught
by the stutter of my shutter-dark heart.

Published September 28, 2025

Sean Glatch is a queer poet, storyteller, and educator in New York City. His work has appeared in Ninth Letter, Milk Press, One Art, on local TV, in his ex’s Grindr bio, and elsewhere. Sean currently runs the creative writing school Writers.com and the forthcoming card game Poemancer. When he's not writing, which is often, he thinks he should be writing.

Oscar Howe (Mazuha Hokshina or "Trader Boy", May 13, 1915 – October 7, 1983) was a Yanktonai Dakota artist from South Dakota, who became well known for his casein and tempera paintings. He is credited with influencing contemporary Native American art, paving the way for future artists. His art style is marked by bright color, dynamic motion and pristine lines.