I am a Latine, genderfluid identifying poet born and raised in Portland, Oregon, though currently living in Ishigaki, Japan. Many of my poems are based around queerness, family, identity, and of course, the politics of all these things in our current social context. Most of all, I seek to express the love I see and experience daily, in all its forms, complications, and difficulties.

Sheyla Dorantes Sanchez

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Open windows

I think I hear mockingbirds outside.
I never keep the window open when I sleep, so I never hear them,
but this isn't my roomand I slept on the floorand the window is open
and I think those are mockingbirds outside.

I knew a guy who wrote a lot of poems about birds
and who may or may not have whistled in his sleep.
I wonder what tune he might have whistled?

Is it rude of me to hear the mockingbirds outside this window and request a song?

I know people who aren't cowards.
They would whistle,and the birds would followand the morning would become a song.

I think I think too much to make magic and music out of nothing.

Instead, I write this poem and feed it to the birds.
They'll make the music,and I'll write the poetry
and the morning will still be beautiful.