Lydia Yawn
Death by Day Light Savings
I always think winter will be worse until the whole world
defrosts and all that's left is the litter layer above our dead
lawn, a decaying mouse by our porch, no longer hidden
beneath mud-mixed slushy snow. Seasonal affective
December wanes into manic warmth, marked by dilated
pupils and Pristiq sweats. Summer develops slow until
it licks hot up my neck—I don't know how I stood
the southern humidity for so long if I can't help but strip
down to my skin and consider shaving my head
on one of Boston's better days. I will start taking
cold showers again, sweating through every shirt
I own, too hot to cook, air to warm to breathe, waiting
impatiently for December to return full force, just to be
disappointed by asphalt scraped knees—winter layers
caked with blood and road salt, desperate for the sunset
not to creep so close so early in the afternoon
Bio
Lydia Yawn is a queer, neurodivergent poet whose work focuses on exploring their identity and the concepts of home, family, and religion in the South. They graduated with a BA in English from Valdosta State University in South Georgia and is currently a third-year MFA student at Emerson College in Boston. Their work has been featured most recently in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and Jelly Bucket. They are also the 2022 recipient of the Academy of American Poets prize.