When I was twelve I told the bus driver
That I was possessed by a demon, but
Being a preacher, he wasn’t amused.

He scolded me, “You shouldn’t tell jokes like
That,” but I wasn’t joking. Something dark
Curled up inside me, roosted in ribcage,

Scratched against my soft belly to break free.
I felt a lot like you, possessed instead
Of possessing, alone yet supervised

Constantly by cruel judges, waiting for
The beast’s release. Uzumaki, I don’t
Know if I wanted you or to be you,

Wanted to be sealed beneath your skin and
Fight to protect you against the villains
Too similar to those I faced at home.

I know, for a while, you were the reason
I so looked forward to Saturday nights,
A half hour of you just believing.

Nick Creel is a trans poet currently studying in Massachusetts. His interests include visual poetry, experimental poetry, and interactive literature. If you want to read more of his anime-inspired poetry, his Hatsune Miku fanzine OUR ELECTRIC ANGEL is free at http://ncreel.itch.io/our-electric-angel…. His poetry appears in Rejection Letters, Petrichor, Perhappened, and Ang(st), among others.