The National Poetry Series was established in 1978 to ensure the publication of five collections of poetry annually through five participating publishers. The Series is funded annually by Amazon Literary Partnership, Betsy Community Fund, the Gettinger Family Foundation, Bruce Gibney, HarperCollins Publishers, Stephen King, Lannan Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, News Corp, Anna and Olafur Olafsson, the O. R. Foundation, the PG Family Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, Laura and Robert Sillerman, Amy R. Tan and Louis De Mattei, Elise and Steven Trulaske, and the National Poetry Series Board of Directors.
2017 COMPETITION WINNERS
What It Doesn’t Have to Do With
by Lindsay Bernal of Rochester, NY
Chosen by Paul Guest for University of Georgia Press
feeld
by Jos Charles of Long Beach, CA
Chosen by Fady Joudah for Milkweed Editions
Anarcha Speaks
by Dominique Christina of Aurora, CO
Chosen by Tyehimba Jess for Beacon Press
Museum of the Americas
by J. Michael Martinez of Denver, CO
Chosen by Cornelius Eady for Penguin Books
The Lumberjack’s Dove
by GennaRose Nethercott of Guilford, VT
Chosen by Louise Glück for Ecco
ALSO BY JOS CHARLES
Safe Space
© 2018, Text by Jos Charles
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher: Milkweed Editions, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Suite 300, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415.
(800) 520-6455
Published 2018 by Milkweed Editions
Cover design by Mary Austin Speaker
Cover artwork: Birds Nest II, Op 200 © Jakob Demus 2018. Diamond drypoint etching.
Author photo by Cybele Knowles
18 19 20 21 22 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
Milkweed Editions, an independent nonprofit publisher, gratefully acknowledges sustaining support from the Jerome Foundation; the Lindquist & Vennum Foundation; the McKnight Foundation; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Target Foundation; and other generous contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Also, this activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from Wells Fargo. For a full listing of Milkweed Editions supporters, please visit milkweed.org.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Charles, Jos, 1988- author.
Title: feeld / Jos Charles.
Description: First edition. | Minneapolis, Minnesota : Milkweed Editions, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018006414 (print) | LCCN 2017058971 (ebook) | ISBN 9781571319913 (ebook) | ISBN 9781571315052 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Gender identity--Poetry.
Classification: LCC PS3603.H37647 (print) | LCC PS3603.H37647 F44 2018 (ebook) | DDC 811/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018006414
Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book production practices with this principle, and to reduce the impact of our operations in the environment. We are a member of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s endangered forests and conserve natural resources. feeld was printed on acid-free 30% postconsumer-waste paper by Thomson-Shore.
Contents
10 Chapter X
11 Chapter XI
12 Chapter XII
13 Chapter XIII
14 Chapter XIV
15 Chapter XV
16 Chapter XVI
17 Chapter XVII
19 Chapter XIX
20 Chapter XX
21
Chapter