Nicole Callihan
Dear Gandhi—
You should see
how hungry we’ve become.
Last week, I watched
a man swallow
a woman whole, on live TV,
then belch, and rub his belly.
I sing America the Beautiful
ad nauseam in my head.
Is the belly that is rubbed
contained in the same body
as a heart? Are these words
the only flag I have left to wave?
Nicole Callihan‘s poems have appeared in PANK, Painted Bride Quarterly, PEN America, and as a Poem-a-Day for the Academy of American Poets. Find her on the web at www.nicolecallihan.com.