writing – Page 3 – Toby Hemker

When I Hurt

I close my eyes, and I cover my face,

And I try to exist in a very small space.

Where words can’t reach and hurts aren’t deep,

I fill the littlest space

With the littlest me.

One Hot Night

The air was so brittle,

Static crackles

Arced along the windowsills and tabletops

You poured gold into glasses

And rhymed to me

about German Matrices.

A winter hotter than summer,

To the virtue of zealous radiators.

Soaked in sweat,

And more love than sweat,

Each bead paint-rolling salt stains

On cracked earth bodies.

Let your rhythm be the heartbeat of my moment.

Mental Health PSA in Iambic Pentameter

I think it’s time to throw out the dead plants.

Feelings

When I forget to do the dishes

You get so angry at me

That you hate yourself

And you cry.

And when you cry,

I get so angry at you

That I want to do something nice for you

And I cook.

And we make up.

And cuddle,

And forgive,

And I forget to do the dishes.

Wanting

Chicken bone, chicken bone, voodoo dream.

Skinny Goddess, satin lover, sage and honey.

Vapor fingers climb your skirt and grope your form.

Tongues lick your ankles.

Ankle bone, ankle bone, my fingers crave your spine.

Clydesdale thumbs and golem digits long to rove the plains of your body.

Speckles, Dapples, Sprinkles

Speckles, dapples, sprinkles, stardust, gold flecks, magic powder,

Confetti, copper, keef

Petals, pepper, sugar, sparkles, cinnamon and spangles

Tea leaves, crystals, cardamom, ladybugs and leopards,

Freckles, freckles, freckles, freckles freckles, freckles, freckles

Be With You

She wants to go where he goes,

Know what he knows,

Be where he is.

“What’s yours can be yours.” She said.

“What’s yours can be mine, can be ours.” She thought.

He wants to go where she goes,

Know what she knows,

Be where she is.

“What’s mine can be mine.” He said

“What’s mine can be yours,” he thought. “Can be ours.”

Wishing

Desert spider star, empty cradle top.

Your babies flown away, your wishes all used up.

No worries to assuage, no fears to reconcile.

No hopes, no needs, no hungers, and endless time to while.

The fading summer breeze holds nothing for you now,

But not a single wish was for you anyhow.

Storm Lover

A black cloud,

ripe and fat with Thunder

Spun shadows

That crept up my walls,

Rocking me with drumfire

And peppering my silhouette

With lightning kisses.

The restless dark could not settle.

Teeth

“Teeth!” She said,

and she said we were dead,

took the teeth from our heads.

So we ground our gums

till our mouths were numb

and we gnashed and chewed

till the bones poked through,

and before we knew

We had teeth!