Never | Li Yun Alvarado

On the subway, three perfect
poofs frame flushed cheeks.
Lips pucker, sweet as stolen
fruit snacks. I make the rules

printed on purple sleeves.
I can do that! Declare it.
Twirl. Laughter. Applause.
Never is a word you know

well without knowing
it means more than
not right now. As in

we never go back.
We never find answers.
We never stay young.

Li Yun Alvarado is the author of Words or Water. A Nuyorican poet born and bred in the Bronx, Li Yun has lived, learned, and danced in all five boroughs. She now lives and writes in Long Beach, CA, where she and the hubby are raising their freshly baked MexiRican son.