grandaddy keeps a coyote skull on his desk
shot him in fortyfive
im not allowed to touch it
except one christmas i caught
grandaddy crying bourbon
and pall mall cigarettes
id thrown a fit at my aunt ann
screamed at my brother and
scared the turkey meat sour
in loose-held secrets the mouths
of this family are too tense
jaws wired shut
so the coyote cant howl
grandaddy lets me stay in his study
til the tears run dry
through the bottle glass he
shows me how bone can sparkle
when asked politely
this coyote can still sing
grandaddy opens the window
slow and slumping
i help him when the latch
catches on his tattered jacket
sleeve with the whiskey stain
and we let the winter wind in
grandaddy held the skull against
the rattling sill
wind through bone i heard
that coyote skull sing
ABOUT:
Calum Robertson, sometimes known as syf, (fae/faer/faeself) is a full-time tea-drinker, part-time forest cryptid from Mohknistsis/Calgary, Treaty 7, Alberta, currently studying communications in Kitchener-Waterloo, Dish with One Spoon Treaty, Ontario, Canada, Turtle Island. The 2022 winner of the Barbara Schneider Writing Award in Communications, faer work focuses on sound studies, nature, queer identities, and Outsider art. Fae have written nonfiction articles for publications as diverse as university campus newspapers (the Gauntlet), the Christian Courier (community newspaper) and filling Station (experimental literature). Faer poetry and prose has appeared in numerous magazines both online and in print, including Canthius, nod, deathcap, the anti-Langurous Project, Lida Literary, Bourgeon, peculiar, Red Coyote, and Tofu Ink. Fae’d like to be reincarnated as a grouse, next time around. You can find faer on Instagram as @sheepiemcgoaters, where fae typically post cups of tea half-drunk and books mostly read.
EDITOR'S SONG PAIRING: Wednesday — Coyote
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