At the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden by Jacy Zhang (22, Maryland)

after Airea D. Matthews

in the garden
or the ice rink, we had praised art and

debated physics--
was it phase changes or pressure

---

that made our skates skim the surface?
fingers threading through your ringlets, we then

​debated art--
Lichtenstein and Abakanowicz

bronze chairs climbing toward heaven,
stele II rusting, you

spraying crystalized rain
to draw another ring, a promise

no pressure. i watched the crystals
sublimate.

​