We are thrilled to launch our weekly publications on Panel Online.
Our first publication of this kind is Swans by Billy Branca. We are honored to give their voice a platform and we hope you will enjoy the poem as much as we do.

 

SWANS

they appeared, a haunting

as we rounded the rocky coastline

great tufts of white, dipping and rocking,

their heads tucked gingerly to their breasts,

whipped by the gusts and the grey waves

their spectre struck us,

the conversation snatched from our mouths

as we stood, awed and staring

I knew her once, the swan:

beautiful creature, a god of rage

I could not help but reach my hand,

so stupidly human,

in the desperate need to touch

everything I love

 

About the author:

Billy Branca is a Queer & Trans writer based in Tallinn, Estonia. Born in Appalachia, they have a soft spot for all things wild that finds its way into everything they touch.

 

Every Monday, we publish one poem, one piece of flash fiction, or one visual artwork. If you’re interested in submitting your work to Panel Online, please check out our guidelines here.