I giggled in surprise at the exuberancewith which I exclaimed, “Oh Yeah!”when the frigid water hit my sweaty scalp,realizing no lover has evoked morethan whispering sighs from me, yet.Another win for shower heads.-Melissa Donley
Silly Girl
Silly girl, what are you waiting for?Did he put gas in your tank or fill your tires?Did he change the filters or check the wiring?Did he fix your furniture orensure you had a place to sleep?Did he ask if you had breakfast that day?Does he know how you take your […]
A Little Death in Cherry
Free falling in the surround sound ofsea breeze and return flow,Riding out that funny shapeyou make with your tongue,a nerve tingling tempest,a perfected torture.Do you remember my flavor,A little death in cherry?-Melissa Donley
Tortellini
It’s too hot to cook,but I don’t drink,so tortellini will have to do.He’s got beef with agingand erased birthdayfrom the message I leftmonths ago.Happy plus his namememorialized in my best handwritingon a dry erase.I don’t understand why he keeps pieces of me.He won’t say anything,but I have fresh basil,so tortellini […]
You Missed the Light Today
Darlin’,you missed the light today,through the shimmy of the leavesand the poise of the daisies,between the swaying shadowson the carpet.Maybe light doesn’t have a sound,but I heard it in the hushing of my mind.I held it in my handsand felt it in my smile.It feels like you, darlin’.It feels like […]
Whatever This Was or Was Not
Every silence weighs,another final nail driven.He hammers on each dayknowing he let me walk away.The walls are corpse cold and the air smells of flagging rot.I won’t live in the crypt ofwhatever this wasor was not.-Melissa Donley
How Beautiful You Would Sing
How beautiful you would sing,heady in my sheets,the ones with the panthers and tigers,frayed tag and summer lightwhispering across your,well,hum deep,something sweet for me,give me a reason to believeI won’t regrethow beautiful you would sing.-Melissa Donley
You Should Plead Guilty
You should plead guilty.We both knowI am your favorite pleasure,the obsession you can’t break,the impulse you must commit.Come clean. Come dirty.Confess again.Is it really a sinif this is how we begin?-Melissa Donley
You’d Be a Lot Prettier If
You’d be a lot prettier ifyou were cocked and loaded,edging beneath me.You can smile if you want.That looks good on you, too.-Melissa Donley
A Crumb of You
Jars of homemade jamwith fruit from the garden,fresh loaves of banana breadand the perfect walnut topping,little trinkets and treats,raptly hangingon your every flaccid fig,giggles and cackles mollycoddlingyour anemic humor.“He’s like that sometimes.”“He’s driven.”Excuses disguised as gracefor your respectfully disrespectful saberswhen a woman disagreesor returns to senderthe gift of you.I know. […]