Ancient Angels And Aliens
Words by S.M. Van de Kamp
of ancient angels, weren’t they more
greenhouse-gas
than cherub, more
permafrost
than some flower, a dragon of
harm’s way
people would cower and go blind
shortly after
something more than divinity we
awaken and begin to feast
on that idea that these beings might have
interglacial periods
that one day they might return to petrify the earth
About the piece: This piece was created by writing an initial prompt line and then randomly placing a finger down on a New Yorker magazine page to select the next word or phase. Then, the next line would be written, and another word or phrase would be selected, and so on. It is a collaboration with the available words and lines in the magazine. All found words/phrases are bolded.
About the author: S.M. Van de Kamp is the founder of the @wait.thisispoetry Instagram account and the Dear___Zine publication. They are a multi-genre writer and have published poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction in journals and magazines. They hold a strong belief that writing and poetry should be made accessible in the public eye.