3 Poems

An Emotional Affair

        I wish someone had noticed them:

the holes in her week,

 

        the two wine glasses

near the kitchen sink—

 

        forever ingrained 

in my mind.

 

        On the metal

deck chairs—

 

        I can’t believe, my

mom was sharing a blunt

 

        with a Catholic

priest.

 

Ditch

Ditch

read the collar

on its peaceful corpse,

 

head lulled to one side,

eyes closed with its tongue

poking out

panting its way into the afterlife.

 

if a vehicle had not hit it, 

i would have thought its death was 

one of great reward—

a separation between the body 

and the world 

for being a good pup. 

 

although quite morbid, 

i wondered what it would be like.  

did the dog feel any pain? 

its side split open 

crushed in—the rest 

of its body intact, 

the rusty brown color of blood mingling 

with its mangled golden fur 

 

now left as unsuspecting food  

for wild animals  

and bugs who look to make a home 

in its flesh.

the dog’s renewed purpose  

of a denied existence 

left to rot  

on the side of the road.

 

Finger Pricking

the cactus spines in my skin,

my irritated skin,

the sharp pains that kickstart my nerves,

sending me into agony

 

not having nails long enough to pull them out,

or having tweezers at the ready,

the lack of duct tape in my kitchen cabinet

 

reminding me that I should,

not touch the sharp plant without proper precaution

but knowing that even without the nails, tweezers, and

the tape

 

most of them stop hurting after a while—

out enough to pull,

while others get trapped underneath

and burrow into the skin.