Save Me, Lady Liberty

I had a dream that
I was flying over NYC,
eye-level with lady liberty.
Glitter oozing from my feet,
fueling every leap as I avoid
the shackling Hand of the far
from indigenous. I imagine Her
mouth curling as my pirouettes
create a shower of liberation.
But as I approach, my feet become
heavier than wet sand. Like the King,
gripped and coerced back to reality.
Mistaking a lack of humility
for freedom and expression.









Delvon Mattingly who also goes by D.T. Mattingly, is an emerging creative writer and a PhD student in epidemiology at the University of Michigan. His fiction has appeared in Maudlin House, Jellyfish Review, MoonPark Review, and elsewhere. He currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his two cats, Liam and Tsuki. http://delvonmattingly.com and @Delvonmattingly