“In this act of magical transformation I recognize myself again”
— Susan Stryker, “My Words to Victor Frankenstein above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage”

Lop off my breasts, beckon
blackthorn from the stumps
to scar as a man might.

Chop off my penis, bury
it after midday
lest the sun rise in its stead.

Kiss me fully, cheeks spread
for such kinship exists between
anus and mouth– twin orifices
perverted to pleasure.

Published September 29, 2024

A Black, queer poet accustomed to living on the margins of different identities, Sebastian Ellios (he/him) is constantly asking what it means to partake in the world and human ecosystems. He processes his existentialism by trying to reach beyond the limits of language. Raised by Black women, both literally & literarily, his writing is rooted in their many lessons & examples. His work has been published by Tabadul Collective, Beyond Words Magazine, Moonstone Press, Voicemail Poems, Fruitslice, and Carolina Muse. He is a recent VONA alum as well as a Southern Esesu Endeavor and Abode Press fellow. When he’s not writing, he’s likely listening to Tierra Whack & Waxahatchee on loop while walking around barefoot. Follow him on IG @sebastianellios & find his work at sebastianellios.com

Levi Japhet was raised in Lima, Peru. They left the known at nineteen to dive into the United States, a land consumed by Religion, Rifles, and Chaos, chasing the flicker of artistic expression. Journeying through the Southern side, it wasn’t until they reached Tulsa, Oklahoma, that something finally took root. In that city of ruins and desolation, they found a strange kinship, a reflection, where solitude shaped their art into a mirror of inner turmoil. Their work often emerges as intricate narratives or fragmented memories, revealing a profound engagement with human experience and emotion. Japhet’s characters frequently inhabit architectural spaces—buildings, interior rooms, or narrow alleys—framing themes of loneliness, isolation, and the weight of religion. Tulsa was temporary. Japhet moved on, seeking not success but something deeper—the marrow, the substance of life, the endless unfolding of the journey. Japhet enjoys exploring the architecture of the human spirit. Is there, in the quiet corners, that the real work is done—the work of becoming. Diving into the depths of filmmaking, painting, and music with each piece they create, they continue to invite others into the textured landscapes of their inner reality and complexities of existence.