The Upwards Instinct

The Upwards Instinct

Courtney Moody

Up. Always up—
since Babel, we’ve climbed
cloud ladders just to fall.
No one cares if the bruises
are colored like coffee or
like night. We like the taste
of trial and error: Everest
and the Moon are witnesses.
We crave crème brulee
garnished with stars that will
brand our esophagus
and intestines in 30,000 Kelvin.
Our eyes and noses are up,
as though our skin feels starved
of Heaven—

and maybe it is.

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Courtney Moody
Writer & Poet

Courtney has had poetry and prose featured in publications such as Kelp Journal’s The Wave, The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal, and the Draw Down the Moon anthology by Propertius Press. In 2022, her poem “Florida Anatomy” was awarded 2nd place for the Florida State Poet’s Association Award. She can be found on Twitter @courtofwriting and on Instagram @courtgetsinsta. 

Photography by Jiri Benedikt