Kiss Me When I Die [excerpt] – Gladys Harlow

January 22, 2020

Sog

 

Carried in a basket

full of heavy wet laundry

the longing to be dry and fluffed

near to your body

all the lines

on a wrinkled shirt

a map of every way

a situation can go

 

Good Deeds Go Unnoticed

 

In case of loss,

please do not return.

Send it anywhere you want.

Hell, bury it in the dry wall of

the intrusive neighbor’s house.

Put it in the blender with those

freshly picked fruits.

Stick it in a stranger’s coat pocket

for a rainy day.

Toss it over your left shoulder for

bad luck.

Throw it over your brother’s right 

shoulder for good luck.

If you have no brothers, wish me luck.

 

In case of loss,

please do not return.

There is no reward.

 

Dodge

 

Ever breaking sin

the shadow puppet

of my mind’s eye

 

revealing all you feel

but never see

 

there is a great escape

in the underlying

of these giant roots

 

the curve and swerve

of my eighth smoke

proof of flow

proof of the wretched

pang that rules

my paintbrush

 

this will

the vital force

 

Static

 

My mind searches

for the texture 

in the sound of a hum

 

My heart, a magnetic field

pulling love out of 

metal clanging cups

 

I’m not sorry

for what it is 

your soul wanted

 

Escaped

IT GREW

from the thorns

of your empty words

 

And I wallow

in the grand vacancy

of universal love

 

To Always

 

Holding on to every moment

as if my fingers could slip

off the edge of a balcony

at any moment

 

Solitude 

is a 

beast

 

Burying 

me 

deep

 

In the burrow

Of its fur

 

Comfort 

fear

Comfort

fear