who i am

by Amber Bird

Edited by Julia Rios

Copyedited by Chelle Parker

November 2019

i told you i was a river
and you bathed in me,
leaving me cleaner.
with rocks from my bed
you lined your walls,
and now i am home.

i rush and tumble and
speak in tongues,
but you lean your ear and
smile at the right parts.

someday, i may wear you down,
erode the years until
i’ve pushed you out to the sea.
until then, i feed the grasses
all along my banks and
encourage them to bloom.
someday, i may feed flowers.

i told you i was a river
and you took the news solemnly.
if you put your candles on me,
i will float them safely out.

© 2019 Amber Bird

About the author

Amber Bird

Amber Bird is a writer, a rockstar, and a science fiction simulacrum. Zie is the author of the hopepunk dystopian science fiction book Peace Fire, the front of post-punk/post-glam band Varnish, one half of transatlantic Autistic musical duo The Companions, and an unabashed geek. An Autistic introvert who found that music, books, and gaming saved zir in many ways throughout zir life, zie writes (books, poems, lyrics, blogs) and makes music in hopes of adding to someone else’s escape or rescue. And, yes, zie was on that Magic: The Gathering card.