—(cento from SHe CiPHeR STiTCHeS)
I came into this
walking in middle of
angry traffic
all up in my truth
when living
something produced
cinnamon-skinned-toned
a language
orphaned
laid down for a nap
falling into the softness
swinging inward, and the little body
before
the sun’s
shooting down rays

Curtis L. Crisler was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. Crisler has 4 full-length poetry books, 2 YA books, and 4 poetry chapbooks. He’s been published in a variety of magazines, journals, and anthologies. He’s been a contributing poetry editor, and he also created the Indiana Chitlin Circuit. Crisler is an Associate Professor of English at PFW. He can be contacted at www.poetcrisler.com.