In the spirit of National Poetry Month, over the next few days, Reads will be publishing five original poems, submitted by Stanford students and chosen by the Arts & Life editors. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and that you continue to read, write and celebrate poetry.

put on rose pajamas. Wait.  
press against the wall you share:  
until your pupils suffocate  
an empty peaches tin, your ear 

do not think those questions like  
where are you hurt, why are you going  
close your eyes and paralyze  
your stomach’s teeth from gnawing  

listen to the seeds drop  
from one side of mom’s phone call 
fill up until the rain stops  
silent backwards belly crawl