AROUSAL

Around midnight at the conclusion
of a party on Jupiter.

The stars went crying into the night.
Rain appeared like a silver sea
rising to golden mountains’ edge.

—Speak—

A tear
dropped

weight of a tear-
drop.

Exploding into tens of thousands
of unforgettable moments.

Into the night
the stars went crying.

Fred Street

“When I first learned about having the virus, it was devastating. ASC was the first place I came to. ASC helped me learn about the virus and take care of myself. In ASC’s Creative Writing Workshop, I write poems about my experience. These poems give me a chance to be introspective about living with the virus. ASC’s done a lot for me, my health, and my ability to express myself.”

Fred Street has participated in ASC’s Creative Writing Workshop since it began in 2000. His poems have appeared in almost every issue of ASC’s literary magazine, Situations.

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