callie joseph

callie joseph Jun 2020

sometimes the dove
stands too heavy on the bar
and it shatters
grains falling to the ground
like fast and precious raindrops
to tempt the rats
on the ****-stained earth

is this how god felt?
as his angels crashed to hell?

callie joseph Jun 2020

to the gals

don't settle with an aura,
when
we have atmospheres.

callie joseph Jun 2020

i did not fall in love

with some subtle illumination
i fell in love
with your blue,
raging, roaring, raw
under your skin
ravishing your soul
you didn't have an aura
you had an atmosphere
stirring the air around you
into hurricanes

and the freckle under your right eye
i fell in love with that too

callie joseph Jun 2020

sahara

The dust from the sahara
golden as caramel
sugar burnt from the sun and
glazed by the shadow of temples and
jewels and camel's hooves
is in the sky
and the sky is grey here
and my lips are dry

callie joseph Jun 2020

arundel

On the lavender sheets
we sat under wood carvings
behind taut-curtained windows
the white paint slightly smeared on the glass
next to a bowl of orange hard candies
sipping the hot,
sugarless earl grey
bitter as the cold
and fell in love

god i love this little english town

callie joseph Jun 2020

writing

I never write when I'm happy,
rather, to peel the scabs off healing scars
sculpt the pain into calibri and bold
paste my black skin onto the white screen
and wait
for the views to roll in
which i use as validation,
and bandage myself up again

i know you're all the same

callie joseph Jun 2020

this is the sound

h
he
he l
he lo
he lov
he love
he loves
he loves m
he loves me
------------------------------------------

unless he's lying
i love him
im always the one to fall in love first
this is why im worthless
he's lying unless

------------------------------------------
he loves me
he loves m
he loves
he love
he lov
he lo
he l
he
h

of hearing "i love you"