Angela Veronica Wong is a writer, artist, and educator. She has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship, a Humanities New York Public Humanities fellowship, and a Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows Program fellowship.
Elsa, a little history of girls
who wore red shoes. One girl was borne
over thorns and stumps until she was torn
and bleeding. One girl chose her career over
her husband and danced to death over a
balcony. One girl didn’t appreciate
what she had until she was carried by
a tornado in a house and couldn’t
get home. The revolution still wears ruffles,
begins with red slippers, will end with
red caps. Conceptualism is meaningless.
At Marly, poems are hidden under table
napkins to be found at dinner. Everyone
takes bets on which mistress will survive.
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friend warns me / But my heart is just there / How can I stop the monster’s / Small mouth from
opening / When it wants so much and I / Want to be needed / It’s / The / Anxiety of April / The /
Anxiety of / Being human / I’m walking through the world like / I have / A plastic Tupperware
of Cheez-its / In my Miu Miu bag / Wondering what’s with / Sisters / Thinking / With my
terrible memory I should / Write more things down / Thinking / What work is done so / That
work is done / Hostage / To our breadmaking I try / All the sleep masks to see which / Block out
the most light / Track my money / Until it turns / Into a / Firefly each / Dollar I don’t have /
Lighting my room / Like a film screen nightmare / These days critique / Can’t be subtle even
though / So I have that / Human anxiety / Where I worry / About what people think / It must be
okay / For women like me / To feel all this rage / I don’t care / I don’t care / I don’t care / About
exclusion / Because / We build / Our bodies against / The day-to-day / If what we say / Isn’t
enough / Here’s the data / Is it ever / Enough / I look at / Every / Real / Estate / Listing as if / I
could have / These other / Lives / Who am I / There is / No one / Who can prepare you / For how
your body / Will change