a million gods would kill for this job

by Ashley Varela

god
said LIGHT
MOON
WATER
RIB

               & the world rushed into existence

               hungry to prove itself
               as a first-day intern

god
said I DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR YOU
TO PULL TOGETHER
A DECENT SKY

               so the interns
               gathered the lumpy blue oceans

               & cinched them with a cerulean belt

god
said FIND ME
THAT STAR I HAD
IN MY HAND
YESTERDAY MORNING

               but failed to specify which one

               so the interns called around
               & filled the sky with lesser lights

god
said FLORALS?
FOR SPRING?
GROUNDBREAKING

               & that year

               all the interns agreed
it was

god
said HOW MANY TIMES
DO I HAVE TO SCREAM
YOUR NAME

               which just made the interns
               blush harder

               under the fig trees

& on the sixth day
god
said THAT’S ALL

               but the interns

               knew
               it wasn’t —

Ashley Varela is a queer writer & author based in Seattle, Washington.