I pretended to be from California, I pretended the palm trees weren’t a spectacle. When that got old, I pretended to be from Michigan, because anything is easier than the truth. I dated a Brit. I tried on her accent to make her laugh and wrote letters on Post-it notes and napkins. I sent them to England in large envelopes. I loved it when she would call me American. American boyfriend.
Recipient of Beyond Words Poetry Chapbook Award 2023 Beyond Words Press Cover Design: Sergio Renato Ordonez