Leah Mueller

Leah Mueller lives in Bisbee, Arizona. She is the author of ten prose and poetry books. Her new book, The Destruction of Angels (Anxiety Press) was published in October 2022. Leah's work appears in Rattle, NonBinary Review, Citron Review, The Spectacle, Miracle Monocle, New Flash Fiction Review, Atticus Review, Your Impossible Voice, etc. She is a 2023 nominee for both Pushcart and Best of the Net. Her flash piece, "Land of Eternal Thirst" appears in the 2022 edition of Best Small Fictions. Website: www.leahmueller.org.
Slam Dancing in Austin While Pregnant
They tried to ignite an American flag
with several flicks of a lighter, but
the damned thing wouldn’t burn.
When the punk band started its set,
the crowd writhed like maggots
and shoved—one against other,
barely missing my swollen belly.
You dodged their blows without effort.
I know you aimed for a different womb.
Thirty-three years later, you’re still dodging.