GLOW| QUEER POETRY FEATURE: MUGGS FOGARTY

​Below, you will find 3 poems from Muggs Fogarty.

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Queered Ghazal

When the man on the subway refers to me as            It
              It             becomes a tunnel
                                          without sound, a dark pit.

I fall in
rein back my pride,
              chew a bridle of spit--

teeth bite hard to spurn my wild tongue’s fits.

Friend says
              I must be doing something right
if no tits,
              a buzzcut and no prick
                          bring me hate speech in transit.

I chuckle
             I shrug

I have a seat, I sit.

& dream up a palace where I’m King                I fit.

I’ve been craving
             wanting love, wholeness, but then, I feel it--

                          a wild orchard of peaches

blooming from one pit.

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Hippocampus Contrpuntal

hey, what’s your name/                      brain, traumatized stew
have we met before/                            in dreams

i’ve seen you/ around here                 he is a ritual ingredient/
I was here                                               like fear, splitting my stem

in 2009/                                                  i wish i had no memory
my head/ was shaved/ back then      in the dark, me

sorry/ my memory/ it’s terrible         in the claw, bruising
but i’m putting it all together/           he made me/ wish i never said

i’ve got to run/                                       i’m sorry/ i am running
we’ll catch up soon/ i promise            i’ll never get caught/

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Missed Connection (w4m)

I wasn’t angry when you followed me down the one-way street driving backwards. I must’ve just sent the wrong signal to have you drive away from me so fast. Honestly, I understand—you have some kind of kink around castration and you’re just in the early days of exploring. I’m sorry I came on too strong. I didn’t mean to scare you. Since you’re obviously new at this, here’s some friendly advice: some fantasies are more healthily indulged alone, on the internet, or with experienced professionals—the blood loss can be fatal and I care about your wellbeing. Though, I am flattered that you drove in reverse to follow me down the entire block—that was so romantic! I wish I hadn’t asked so loudly if you wanted your dick bit off, obviously you want more of a tease. It’s cute that you’re so shy! & thanks for saying you liked my mouth, it’s my favorite part of myself too—especially how it wraps around my own teeth.

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​Muggs Fogarty is a queer poet and teaching artist from Providence, Rhode Island. They are a Co-director of Providence Poetry Slam, the Director of ProvSlam Youth, and a teaching artist at New Urban Arts. Muggs also makes makes music and collage works.
http://www.muggsfogarty.com/  | https://soundcloud.com/muggymuggy