"Can David come out to play?"
Kirby
Kirby’s chapbooks include Cock & Soul, Bob’s boy, The World is Fucked and Sometimes Beautiful, She’s Having A Doris Day (KFB, 2017), and the upcoming What Do You Want To Be Called? (Anstruther, 2020). Their full-length debut, This Is Where I Get Off (Permanent Sleep, 2019) is now in its second printing and currently being adapted for the stage. Kirby is the owner and publisher of knife | fork | book.

Stand behind the Rimbaud mask
He once saw the world through
Who doesn’t want to be any body
Even a dead boy when you’re dying?
Then I see it, a piece I’ve only Xeroxed
‘Til now so much bigger than I imagined
boy big as me (“one day this kid will
Get larger”) David, I came all this way
to see you sweet looking youth
With a museum badge in smart frames
ask if he’ll take my picture, “We’re
Both boys,” me in my 8 Man
Baby blue tee. He smiles, I smile,
so my type. “Of course” and
it hits me full on. David. I came
to see David. Knees buckle
Tears flood walls drop to the floor
attendant rushes kneels beside me
Strokes my back “What do you need?,”
“some water” takes my arm
Leads me to another room, a bench
a window, shaded leaves I sit
Hear David’s voiceover through
Sobs speakers this empty room
“here,” he holds the glass sits with me
“Thanks” “Can I get you anything else?”
such kindness this boy feeling like an
Old fool, “It’s okay.” “You sure? Is there
Someone here with you? Can I call you
A cab?” “No really, I’ll just sit here a
Moment, I’ll be fine” knowing nothing is
“I’m still on the floor if you need anything.”
My feet return, ass meets bench
In the next room an elder male couple
Also survivors sit beside one another
Hold hands watch footage unreels protests
Queers fighting for our lives dykes, trans
Gays always fucking fighting for another
Square fucking inch to remain here in
Fucking MAGAland I ghostwalk through
remains large canvases signs paper
Mache globes black & white nudes
David’s not here. His voice neck face
Eyes keep me awake at night
