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Ode to Storm, Goddess, Thief, Mutant, Queen

Ororo, Ororo is the palindrome that saved me

Born among the misfits 80’s, the too poor to be punk 80’s,
I read reprints of Giant Size X-men and recognized

the difference between a toll and a token. Fly,
shock, cool breeze, hail, maelstrom, so versatile

was my worship of your controlled weather, it was
no secret I was in love with your life before deity:

lifting wallets in Cairo, (need we even mention Dickens)
for the Shadow King. Claustrophobia was on the same helix

as your X-gene. I, too, feared the matchbox apartments
we crammed ourselves in. Dreaming of being bused

to a magnet school. Gifted on the floor of the X-mansion
and gifted all over my elementary transcripts. Tempest of expectations.

Ororo, Ororo is the palindrome that saved me

Steven Leyva

Twitter: @sdleyva
IG: @sdleyva

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