Park Proposal (a Chōka)

Down by the fountain,
a man lowers himself down
to one knee. The ring,
a counterfeit sun. I see
the woman process
his silent question, her face
overshot with rage.
Through my eyes’ wide sniper scope,
I watch the bullet
of my understanding catch
her shoulder. She stumbles back.




Reprinted from Resting Bitch Face (Soft Skull Press, 2025) with the permission of the publisher and author. All rights reserved.