santos scribes

i know what you’re 

thinking: another poem about  

birds. but can you imagine it? 

a rooster (trained to fight) 

and a hawkeye (whom i’ve only just  

discovered isn’t even a real 

bird to begin with) 

playing basketball? 

i have no choice but to 

believe it was a privileged  

white man who came up with these  

silly collegiate mascot names. 

and that when he decided on  

these fictitious ferocious 

birds, he never imagined  

a woman playing his sport 

never imagined 18.9 million  

people tuning in to watch  

lady cocks and female hawks 

dance and compete  

and win 

more than viewership 

more than a championship 

more than more 

then more  

about this poem

this one’s for all my lady birds; for coach Staley and coach Bluder, Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso and Gabby Marshall sure but also too for Candace and Hadley, sweet Lilah, for Sarah Linn and Kath and Heath and and and.. xo