From “Hair Pieces” and “Italic Like It Ain’t”

By julie ezelle patton
An aged sheet from Gregg Shorthand with curly black hair swirling throughout the shorthand.
An aged sheet from Gregg Shorthand with curly black hair swirling throughout the shorthand.
An aged sheet from Gregg Shorthand with a black power fist at the top and some dried plant matter. The text at the top has been altered to say Cosmic Egg Shorthand.
An aged sheet torn from Gregg Shorthand with a dried stem and leaf atop it and some plant residue covering some of the shorthand at the bottom.

Nature to leaves corresponding to letters and the language of love for hand righting some of the wrongs of words. I want to gain awareness from dirt.

Notes:

This work is part of the portfolio “julie ezelle patton: J Walking Through the Alphabet” in the March 2026 issue of Poetry and is excerpted from J Walking Through the Alphabet by julie ezelle patton and edited by Abou Farman and Janice A. Lowe (Nightboat Books, 2026).

Source: Poetry (March 2026)