1 poem
by angelica ilagan
angelica ilagan (she/her) is a poet from san diego, ca. she holds a ba in literature and writing from uc san diego. she loves the smell of garlic but hates how it lingers on her hands. you can find her on instagram @angelicailagan.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT THIS IS A POEM ABOUT NARUTO
I want to be so cool they name a series after me!
But they won’t. Understandable. I’m no main
character, no boy-made-sun-made-
body of inexplicable, splintering wonder.
Mainly I like to nap in the sun. Who doesn’t?
If I can’t be light then I’ll find some way
to burn in it. It is a blessing
to know you have a body. Ask anyone
who has made longing into a knife.
Some desires break skin. Anything
worth wanting must always be—you.
I’m okay with being a side character
but I’ve got dreams, too. Who doesn’t?
How else would we have gotten here—
to this world, bathed in orange and gold.
Every name pressed into breath. Every love set aflame.