on Equilibrium
an ekphrastic poem on Amy Sherald’s “Equilibrium”
composure kept in the face of adversity
makes you worth your salt and then some
tiptoe, tiptoe—
dream too much and you’ll be caught slipping
slipping
back into the days where they would
turn your back to batter if you step out of line
align your own purpose with
what they think your worth is a
lose yourself
progress is a tug of war between
convenience and calamity
You embrace the fight, internalize it
strength palpable in tight swing of hips
you shall not be moved
immune to the drivel
on you strive
out of the scarlett
towards the light
Hope Hynson a poet and undergraduate student in the English Language and Literature program at the University of Maryland, College Park. While she has not had any creative work published, she has had journalistic writing published in her school’s newspaper, The Diamondback, and in the New York Times. She will be graduating this coming May, and will be starting her graduate studies (MA in English) at the University of Chicago this coming fall.