how are you supposed to find the center without first finding the edge?
Another morning
when i awoke
she was gone
and
all i could smell,
all i could taste,
was ash.
i saw stars
i will name and number
the goosebumps
on your trembling skin
the way they name and number
the stars in the sky.
i will trace new constellations
with my finger tips
on your bare back
as a reminder of how much exists
in ourselves, in this world
that we can never see
(at least without help).
and as your body bends and
your lips and lungs shudder and moan
we will invent new shapes and words
to replace the old ones:
joy, desire, love – they are flat, stale;
they have been tipped over and emptied out
by centuries of misuse.
together
we will find
fitting replacements
for these tired words,
these worn down signifiers.
together
we will be the spark
that starts the world anew.
Silk and spice
i held my breath and
winced
as her laughter
perfumed the senseless sky
Competition
my doubts are growing faster than the weeds.