THE DARK, DARK CITY
my purse is full of secrets
i want to kiss you, but
not near the subway entrance
my fingertips press hard red
the sides of your plastic glasses
google heart attack symptoms
my eyelids never open
no, i don’t think
fugitives don’t need to see at night.
*
THE FIRST GHOST
the first ghost
was an old lover,
made the house
smell like whisky
& kiehl’s oil
left the phone
off the hook
said, “i’m sorry,”
to me in the shower,
to which i replied:
“are you done now?”
*
TIME BANDIT
i want to sleep with you in marfa,
with good weed, your curls, your lips
i could call you daddy & it’s okay
we’re all struggling daddy,
we’re all running on empty
just my mouth with your collarbone,
your sage smelling skin
i’m still sleeping in your pickup truck
forgetting my panties in the morning
i’ll give you coffee or an apple,
i want to know how to live in the present tense.
*
WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN I STARE AT MY PHONE
i can still feel your breath
on my neck. i wish it didn’t feel
like tiny pins under my earlobe
when you leave.
*
WOULD YOU LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH?
my heart is made out of palm trees:
a forest hiding in a cocktail skirt
i’ll tell you oceans & let you borrow
my hands for the length of a story
this birth is a gift, but only
if we really know each other
look, if you listen closely, i left
part of me in a palm leaf
you can find me in the venice canal
right, friend?
*
Stephanie Valente’s waiting for the end of the world takes places between the world of the living and the dead. Inspired by the major arcana tarot cards, the poems explores the unstoppable forces of urgency, love, sex, desire, longing, and identity.
Click to obtain WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, BY STEPHANIE VALENTE.
