red lion sq.

In the spirit of beginnings, here is a poem about the itch to rile things up. Red Lion Sq. will official launch June 1; in the meantime, we're starting things here with a few poems of our own to hold you over. Enjoy!

Starting Something
by Amy Watkins
 
I fling a handful of orange peel and seeds
like a lit cigarette from the window of a moving car,
glance back over my shoulder
to see what sprouts or catches fire.
 
Today I feel like starting something,
a revolution or a really bad joke
that spreads over the internet
like a controlled burn in the dry grass
roots, until everyone, everyone is laughing
their best school kid laughs.
 
I am a litterbug, and I dare the cops of
this sedate street to confront me. I’m Amy
Orange-seed! A folk hero! I ought
to have a cape and a mask that hides me
completely, though it covers only my eyebrows
and the bridge of my mysterious nose.