Michael Schmeltzer was born and raised in Japan before moving to the US. His work includes the nonfiction book “A Single Throat Opens,” a collaborative lyric exploration of addiction and family. His debut “Blood Song” was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award for Poetry. He is a member of the Seattle7Writers, serves as President of Floating Bridge Press, and is a 2019 Jack Straw Fellow. A special thanks to Jack Straw for their support during the writing of this poem.