Knox Knox Knoxing On Heaven's Door

The title of this poem is taken from a Jennifer Knox poem, "And Then There Is California", whose title is taken from a line from Edward Albee.

---

​Sudden Color In A Blinding Field Of Beige
​Adam Stone

All of the solar system is
talking about how Pluto got fat after science
broke up with him via text

There is a whole Reddit thread about his
failed Kickstarter campaign to get
reinstated in the group

Neptune has always been closest to him but
instead of supporting him through his
awkward Goth stage
Neptune started a Youtube Channel
featuring the audio of all the sad voicemails he
refused to return

Saturn starts showing his texts around to any
planet it runs into

Mopey Pluto with the mix tape eyes
                        always furthest from the sun
                        humming the bassline to unnecessary apologies

Everyone crayons him death star gray or
                                           sedan beige in their star charts

But Pluto wears a brown leather coat
                  marbles his face in photographs
Pluto is photogenic now that he's over us
               glitter eyeshadow somehow subtle
               streaks in his hair that the sun can't take credit for

Being abandoned by us miserable orbiters brings out
the heart in his chest
the caps on his elbows
the freckles on his fuckless brow