Voices - April 18th

Are You A Sprinter? Because...

Just thought
of your voice: made me come
back to all the parallel wishes
we had: wanted to shut up
the stupid way we talked,
regretting the trembles we hid
in our words. Wanting, waiting,
for the people at the front of the line
to hurry along, so we could ring up
these ingredients and start cooking a new
meal. We stood too long by the magazines.
You stole one, said you'd be waiting
in the car, empty by the time I ditched
the bags to meet you there. Left
with a stack of magazines with covers
torn off.

Just remembered
your voice is in another
ear, no longer dumb
for each other: Briefly considered,
deleted before it could finish
installing, dating apps. I don't think
either of us knew what we wanted there,
but we both know who would get swiped.

Just recognized
your voice in my poetry: a muse
losing their pose. Dragging
across a blank page, an inked
fingerprint will eventually run
clearly. I still feel your hands
graze my pages,
leaving no marks, like a phantom
limb. A painting of ghosts
left pinned on my wall.

Just think: Do they haunt
or watch over me, tuck me in
with leftover caresses? Trust you,
either way, to always be there
in half-remembered whispers & fading
fingerprints.

— — —

Zest

Sweet Boy makes you breakfast
Sweet Boy annoys you when you wake up
Sweet Boy kisses your cheek too much
Sweet Boy holds your hand too hard
Sweet Boy can't make coffee
Sweet Boy buys lunch
Sweet Boy drives around
Sweet Boy kisses your lips too sweetly
Sweet Boy rots your teeth
Sweet Boy doesn't want the way he talks
Sweet Boy kisses you the same anyway
Sweet Boy tastes something new
Sweet Boy waits around
Sweet Boy is too shy
Sweet Boy knows it
Sweet Boy will always be sweet, but dies finding
Saucier lurking inside you
Saucier is playing with your hair
Saucier is flirting with strangers
Saucier is confident in shyness
Saucier fucks better
Saucier moves to LA
Saucier opens a bar named after you
Saucier doesn't have time for dreams
Saucier is busy with you
Saucier kisses from the world
Saucier is wanted around
Saucier gets chances to be
Sweet & Sour for you. Now,

Sweet Boy is every flavor,
going untasted, spoiling alone,
sweetly wishing for another taste.