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Breath & Shadow
Winter 2025 - Vol. 22, Issue 1
"Mandate"
written by
Noraa Kaplan
i keep my mouth closed-casket
in an old facemask
my frown is concealed
their scowls are not
as if my mere presence
sullies the air
like a christian necklace
spreads the good word
they seethe because i’m unwilling
to risk infecting them
as if i’ve beaten their breath
into shamefaced submission
and forced them to admit
they’re no longer able to care
Noraa Neither Kaplan is an artist and writer living in Providence, RI. Noraa draws on her experience as a disabled trans woman in her poetry, and often grapples with themes like identity, multiplicity, and embodiment. You can hear her read some of her older poetry on Bandcamp.
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