turnsole, by jp thorn

​turnsole
ekphrasis based on the art of annie stegg
 
have you ever
pictured yourself
as something else?
not someone-
an animal or
inanimate object,
maybe even a cloud?
 
if i told you
i know a place
where they paint portraits
of bears sipping from 
bone china, scenes 
of greenery where
immutable
meets animalistic,
what would you think?
 
my best friend
is a girl with rams horns
they are strong
as she is beautiful,
they curl as she tumbles
day to day,
simple, a box
of kraft macaroni
with a cup of tea.
she is the light
we are moths
drawn to her fire
 
the neighbor girl
rides a fox to school.
most days,
i am one child
nurturing a child
always cutting things
right off 
the cuff & though i’m 
not quite sure what 
their name is
i babysit with fervor,
my wonder only matched
by its surprise
that love abounds
 
here, people are
the presence, kindred
signs of connectivity
in unexpected ways-
the tree frog is a lord
not a helpless prince
waiting to be kissed,
i buy bread from
a swan girl, her
neck innocently long,
andiron swivel
adorned with jewels
 
unable to grand jeté
over the life jetty & forced
to walk it like a plank;
here, i am heliotrope &
frankincense, turnsole
taken root.
disavowing amaranth
to perennially
face the sun; once
only surviving
on chilled dew
for sustenance
irony now grumbles;
all along i could’ve
photosynthesized my own.
 
there is no magnum opus,
days are cirrus delights
nights are spent
porch-bound sky gazing,
cuddling a pipe & my
three-headed cerberus pup;
one day she'll outgrow me
gaining wings
i'll never clip
but until then
moments will gather
like a borealis of
jellyfish swirling
around me
everywhere i go;
people remark
about the beauty
of someone 
living so brazenly,
never touch
without asking
 
jp thorn
​
jp thorn (he/they/any) is a queer, neurodivergent artist raised in & returned to the bible belt. advocate for destigmatization & radically open communication, their work is inspired by humanness, reframing traditionalism, therapeutic processes, unlearning patriarchy, identity, & global patterns. you can find more of their work at thorn.jp