there is an exaltation when feet
hit the pavement bold bouncing
each step a bouquet of joy
listen for the laughter’s rise
bone ravenous, righteousness a straw halo
calls upon a fragile happily ever after
showtime sugar, this is it
what lies down dorothy’s brick road
the golden token heavy in the pocket
let the spy flies drown in their own
lemonade bitter as illumination
falls on the rubble rustling
forget not the hour of favorites
wishes warm from the stroke
of genie lamp’s lessons molten
crave a coil hold, kinky lighting
a buzz away & awareness crackling
no exceptions, not even a crowded room
remember to roll the daffodil’s ego
tight before the pull of fabrication
festers with a furious grasp
the key to crowns cannot be stolen
by mannequins roaring insecurities
rather gaze through the pyramid
honey molasses ever so sweet
ambrosia common to the king maker
the directive a kaleidoscope of clarity
travel back in the ways of protection
as the stars speak in their duality
weak flickers snuff the final flame
before the aftermath settles
the medals are already untouchable
to those unworthy to understand brass
something to be said about the power of prisms
Contributor Notes
Attorious Renee Augustin is a black neurodivergent nonbinary artist from Wanamassa, NJ. They trust their work is to be a catalyst of growth for all people from oppressive systems, through the introspective lenses of creation, pattern synthesis, and metaphysics. As a poet, filmmaker, and educator, Attorious Renee employs the tools of spirituality, astrology, philosophical questions, and strange sensory processing to bring pragmatism to the worlds of encrypted and unprocessed information. Their work appears currently in Lampblack Lit Magazine, Cixous 72 Journal, Forward Reviews and on YouTube. Attorious recently received their Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry at Rutgers University- Newark. They are the host of Lampblack’s Instagram Live Series, “The Inky Bulb” and an artist-in-residence with New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where they were co-artistic director of NJPAC’s 2021 performance, “Phronesis: A Focus on Frequency.” Attorious Renee can be found performing along the Jersey Shore or on all platforms @ahmosegrace.
Photo Credit: Rachel Han
