Welcome to SWWIM Every Day’s preview coverage of Miami Book Fair (MBF) 2022! The poets whose work you’ll be reading every weekday from October 15 through November 15 are just a few of the many authors from around the world participating in this year’s MBF, the nation’s largest gathering of writers and readers of all ages. They all look forward to sharing their work, thoughts, and ideas both in person and online. Between November 13-20, new poet conversations and readings will be launched and available for free on miamibookfaironline.com (in addition to other content). For more information, visit the website and follow MBF on Instagram and Twitter at @miamibookfair and use the hashtag #miamibookfair2022.
My scars have no brakes. My scars carve me round. I want you, like I wanted black rims and silver spokes, yellow mustard on the tongue and the blue vinyl seat of things I can’t name. I want you like I once dreaded dark shadows, the depths of bushes where we thought the swamp monster stayed all night. I suppose I want the monster too. ** I want you, like a banyan grows around a host tree, a green memory, and then as the host dies inside winds tree fingers in a spiral of leathery leaves, holding the center space hollow. I am ready to touch the lines of your face. I am ready as a bicycle to be stolen.
Betsy Aoki is author of Breakpoint (Tebot Bach, 2022). She lives in Seattle, Washington. See betsyaoki.com.
The author grants permission.
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