Pupa 

I find

that if you remove yourself from soil,

Moss-vigorous with mandrake wailings—

if you can change your name to some syllables

tangible to wind–if you know the way through,

under, if you find purchase in a chain link fence—

if you glaze over, gauzy with moon-stained web

and ichorous blue scatter of blazoned trees,

then there is no season for your cocoon—

the change will— the change has— it happens. 

Bio – James Cole is a poet, author, and scientist from Roanoke, Virginia. He graduated from The College of William and Mary where he studied neuroscience, creative writing, and medieval history. Currently, he is a graduate student studying sensory neuroscience at The University of Virginia Medical School. His work as appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Oddball Magazine, Rudderless Mariner, and Angel Rust Magazine. In 2016 he won The Gallery poetry prize and in 2017 he was a semifinalist for the Virginia Writers’ Club Golden Nib Award. James is the founder of the Charlottesville Poetry Critique Circle, a community organizer for the Live Poets Society, and teaches literary theory and composition at WriterHouse. His first poetry book, Crow, come home, was released by VerbalEyze Press in December of 2019. In 2021, he founded the Poetry Showcase at Live Arts Theater.