British Columbia Poetry Magazine –

"On Joy (Metamorphosis)" by Chellaloah

(Advertisement)

(Begin Magazine)
--
Switch between waxpoetryart.com publications:
Wax Poetry and Art | Weekly Poems | Haiku Imperium
SWAV Poetry | Under 25 Poetry | Young Poets World
Kirk Ramdath presents Visual Art | Photographers from Earth
The Short Play's the Thing | Flash Fiction Takeover

Read and Submit to the Poetry and Art News
Get a Free Writer's Page at Writers, Poets, Playwrights
--

Title image a forested area in autumn, with golden trees and green pines. A dirt road leads through the trees. In the background, a lake, with a green mountain range behind it.

Home | Published | Submissions | About

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Visit waxpoetryart.com to explore poetry (including haiku and spoken word), visual art, photography, play, and fiction submission opportunities. Experience the thrills of the Weekly Poems Contest.

--

September 15th, 2026

On Joy (Metamorphosis)

by Chellaloah 

Roll and rattle the bones! 
Shake your self awake, bellylaugh until 
you cough it all up, the 
sticky partsrotten partsdead parts 
Dance yrself clean on boogie shoes and blinding 
lights, shed your skin and 
peeled layerful, throw each piece paper onion sheet into the air and watch them 
blow away like fiery lanterns 
Take every handful of your beautiful friends like a prayer, like a cupful of sand and 
shake them too like they shake you 
rhythmically, now: 
(krr-sht krr-sht ka-thump ka-thump) 
Howl in the gloaming beautiful 
bright blue light, you! 
Hair standing bouncing; target 
for a bolt and I really mean POW! 
Born again, shout out at it all! 
Until the laughing sounds like crying sounds like laughing


About the Poet
Chellaloah resides in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on Chellaloah's Artist Page.

This poem is also featured in Poetry World #16, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.

Keywords: healing, friendship

Previously published in British Columbia Poetry Magazine:
Polaris
by Stephen G. Lloyd

Home | Published | Submissions | About

British Columbia Poetry Magazine is part of Wax Poetry and Art and waxpoetryart.com.
- Visit the Wax Poetry and Art Submissions Page to see all opportunities.
- Visit the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
- This website and all contents ©Florencia Bay Books and specified artists.
- AI training is not permitted on this website.

(End Magazine)
--

(Advertisements)