Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
 
We're old swords, my
lovely— dogged, not
learning from the two
hundred years that our
city's been burning; we're
just ashes to ashes and
in between, yearning.
is gone; no shiny coin
or sacred fawn or star
to set our compass on.
I am a hot little dumpling of a
woman, fragrant pillows, dimples—
I am a sweet and steamy comfort,
silky victuals, spiced and biblical,
for a man of pow'rful hunger.
All night delighting,
then a duel at dawn;
next time let's not
wait so long.
On hungry days, I hail
the hunt, squint my
eyes and spin my guns.
Your heart runs by.
I count to one.
At least my cherry tree
will blossom soon.
That July,
I was a jar
of fireflies;
you held
me in your
hands. I
lit up your eyes.
I've had to struggle
for every good thing.
You came easy.
There's always one who knows
best, one who makes her best
guess, always one who just left, one
who wore her best dress; one you'll never
see again, and one you will. Amen.
 Feb 2020 Sean Critchfield
Kate
when I die cut me into pieces
keep the bits of me in your back pockets and leave me at train stations
hide me in between books at libraries and tuck me between the pews at church
leave me next to shampoo bottles at the pharmacy and plant me with blue hydrangeas
stuff me in between the sheets at ikea and in stranger’s coin jars
I want to be known so much,
I want the world to have me
If they don’t want me as a whole,
maybe they’ll take the scraps
Next page