Anise (Cochitos)

Make our Miracles of Earth
Smirk with the Morning Sweet
\The Thick of Molasses  
A Burn that Lingers Long Enough to Confess
It was Worth to Reach –
In Second Hand Stores,
Heavy Carts,
in Clear Mugs Fulfilled with Coffee,
-Hot,
-50 Cents Less,
-There,
Wherever we Can Find it
Really .

Whatever Bin you Can Reach into
And Pull out Your Hands
Pregnant with Stars

Sexy Beast-ing

My Father
As it were,
is Deathly allergic
to Bees.

Unrelated however,
It may be –
I feel the Obligation

To tell You
That I am a Sexy.

Mother.

Fucker.

As in –
My legs go

All the Way
Up to

My Throat.

As You Can See
\Lucky –
To Catch me when
My jeans Fit.
Just. Right.  

The Trick is
To Dress

Down the Middle,

When you Have Left
So much

Of Ones Body
In the Hands

of Hateful Tongues.

My Pockets burst
With Z’s and Tilde’s
\When I was Born
\Taught Wolf Song
\And Forbidden

\from Running with Them
\Yet so. Built for it.

God, in my Opinion,
Did an awful Job
Patch-working this
Golemesque Shell.

Thus I have Taken
to Relying Heavily
on the Company
of Tailors
\Placing my Hands
Deep in the Hive
\Praying for a Summer Swoll
\Marrying the Bite
\the Shade

And Have Emerged
\My Father’s Son

\Comfortable in his Name
\A Tall Drink of Water

\Growling.

John F. Quinonez is a full-time Teacher, Direct Care Worker, Writer, and Events Coordinator based out of Flagstaff, Arizona. He currently serves as an active Board member of Poetry Slam Inc., Chair of the Northern Arizona Book Festival, Founder of the Flagstaff Poetry Festival, and is the Host City Coordinator for the 2016 Individual World Poetry Slam. This summer he is going on tour with his first chapbook “Left for 17,” which reflects on his relationship to the Copper State and its’ many poorly-signed highways as a Young Beast. On Wednesdays he Wears Pink – Every other day Boots, probably.