Venezia

NaPoWriMo day 3, poem 3/30. Today's prompt was a sea shanty, which I have no interest in writing, but I figured I could write about the sea. I ended up in Venice instead. Mostly inspired by my own travels but of course I have to credit Jeanette Winterson's The Passion.

Venezia
I belong not underground
but afloat, only water
to edge me in. I walk
this tangled mass of land
and sea with little Italian,
no map. I follow graffiti,
always find your door.
Here we take off
our masks, here each move
is a circle, a wave, a lapping
of wet against skin.
You paint each penumbra
of my body, spelling-
la mia regina,
my queen.

Little White

NaPoWriMo day 2, poem 2/30. Today's prompt was to write lies. I took my initial inspiration from the fairytale "Snow White & Rose Red," and that's where the last line came from.

Little White

Don't place your hand
on the Bible but on
my heart that is always
true. Tell me the whole
and nothing but,
unwind your stories
and I'll lock them safe.
When I watch your mouth
I am looking just for words.
The words I say
have never been spoken
by anyone else,
to anyone else. What
green eyes you have
and what pale skin.
If you let me in
there will be no
transformations, I have
nothing to hide.
I will do you no harm.

Madness

NaPoWriMo day 1, poem 1/30. Today's prompt was to write a poem using the first line of another poem. I flipped through the index of first lines in a few of my poetry books so I could steal a line without being influenced by the context. I ended up choosing the beginning of Yeats' "The Wild Old Wicked Man": "Because I am mad about women." I wrote three fairly distinct drafts and then decided to combine them, so hopefully there's not too much Frankenstein going on.

Madness

Because I am mad about women
I take two white pills in the morning.
They help with the madness
not the women. Because
I am mad about women I said
words I could not understand
that unlaced her fingers
from my hair. Because I am mad
about women I laugh with my mouth
too open, hoping someone
just as mad will crawl into me
and stay. The day I went
from one white pill to two
I turned into a swan, couldn't quiet
my wings. Because I am mad about
women I say in the dark
I love you madly
I love you madly.

NaPoWriMo 2013

It's that time again! Watch this space.

Spelunking

Spelunking

for J

This whole city

is big enough for us to walk

until I’ve got blood

in my shoes,

and empty pockets.

We map these streets

with stitches

connecting places we go in

step, in hand.

We wade together

through this swamp-wet air

holding on so we won’t

get lost.

We bring home peaches

and second-hand jeans

and we sweat under cover

in dark private places.

Your eyes run black

with love-smudged mascara

and we sleep just barely

touching.

Her Majesty

I wrote this a few weeks ago. One of the few things I've written recently that has not been heartbroken and melodramatic.

Her Majesty

Swans are vicious creatures

she says and there’s blood

under her over-long fingernails

in little brown crescents.

You write them like

they’re beautiful but

you know you’re not supposed to feed them.

She sits

with her back arched away

from the chair

and her neck white.

I can’t say

swans are sometimes royalty,

that in London parks

they belong to the Queen.

The only majesty in this room

is hers and so I say

Because they mate for life.

Derecho

Derecho

 

I sleep

between the wall and a barricade

of pillows

because she liked me

helpless.

In the thunder, she put my

naked body

in the other girl’s clothing,

set the rules

with silk scarves and not-yets,

told me her vices but not

the reasons.

Won’t you let me in tonight?

Lock the gate,

not to keep me

but to bar the rain.

In your satin,

sleep in my hands

like I’m the protector for once.

No secrets tonight,

just shelter.