get me to gods country.

a poem (!) that is a love letter to SWers <3

As I may have mentioned (ha), I recently did a reading with Hanif Abdurraqib. The occasion was to celebrate the birthday of a local poet and arts-organizer, Joy David, who runs a monthly open mic at our radical social center. Joy is a generous supporter of my work and though I simply do not identify as a poet, I do sometimes write poetry, and they encourage me to read it. I’ve used the open mic to get braver sharing it, and on Thursday, as a co-headliner, I had no choice but to be bold in it. I am nearly certain that poetry will never be my go-to form of expression, but it has been fun to challenge myself to say what I want to say in fewer words, and without citations.

I’m going to share one of the poems I read because really it is a love letter to femme sex workers. The title was inspired by country singer Morgan Wallen’s Instagram post after his abrupt SNL departure, captioned “Get me to God’s country.” Presumably he meant away from the horrors of the libs in the Big City, and back to rural white America. And though y’all know I find rural land (and all its diversity) to be divine, I am, here, more interested in celebrating the sacredness of a different kind of space…(&yes, it is intentionally titled “gods” instead of “God’s.”)

If you are a femme and/or a sex worker, this is for you. I think you are full of god, I think we are holy. <3

get me to gods country.