Bellisimia

     Poetry and the internet grow ever more entwined. Take the case of Arisa White, whose book of verse inspired a project that now thrives via social media.

    Arisa White published You're The Most Beautiful Thing That Happened in mid-2016. It was a "love letter to queer people of color" and a balm to those who feared the ascendance of anti-gay white supremacy in the United States. 

Arisa White

    From this arose the Beautiful Things Project. It aims to "expand readership beyond markets that are often targeted for poetry; to mutually support artists and organizations that work to restore, nurture, and bring beauty to the people they serve; and to create Beautiful Community Events that spotlight the narratives and experiences of queer and trans people of color." You can find the project (in which White has a hand) on Instagram or its parent site. 

     In between projects, we can enjoy this sample of Arisa White's poetry. 

     from Kokobar

        V. Angel

    I prefer my tea with sugar
    when I talk to you. You make
    each minute an island where we,
    crowned and carpeted by green,    
     sip Dragon Well from our palms.

    I’m necklaced by your talk.
    I want to exchange my body
    for yours and outfit your walk—
    be the canary in your cage,
    hum every note you give.

    You may find it strange
    I think this way, but I’m
    readying myself to approach
    the musical brew of my yeses,
    my season fitting to spring.