when "goodbye" starts a war across the peace arch border

By britt mcgillivray

instead of    did you even want me there          i try    what is the shelf-life of want 

instead of    are you aware of your cruelty      i try    why capacity for cruel

instead of    to what degree did you use me      i try    when does friend become function

instead of    what was the margin of overlap   i try    how to exist on a fault line ridge

instead of    how did i spur this harshness i try    does your intent discredit my holy

instead of    did you plan to lose all of this       i try    what is the wingspan of significance

instead of    when will the worst of this lift      i try    why give hurt its own pulse

instead of    why'd you ask me to orbit you      i try    where are our centers of gravity

instead of    where does the cosmic go             i try    how to steer this sharp alchemy 

instead of   why'd you invite me to america     i try    why america

why anything at all 

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britt mcgillivray (they/them) is a poet from 'Vancouver, BC', the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam peoples. Their work has been published or is forthcoming in The New Ohio Review, Contemporary Verse 2, Room Magazine, SAD Mag, Subbacultcha!, emerge, and other publications. They recently founded andand, a publishing project that centers queer writers across North America and beyond. A graduate of Simon Fraser University's Writer's Studio, they are currently finishing their first full-length book of poetry.