the ledge
at night, he crawls through the
crack in the curtains;
false teeth snarling,
rotten gravestones covered in scum,
. . . which one is for me?
i cocoon myself in the
puppy-dog covers
(all that’s left of my youth)
a tremor in my little finger
the only tell of my
f e a r
eyes scrunched up,
years of training bid me,
don’t look . . .
cognac and old spice,
which have no right to
linger on a young girl’s skin,
flip my stomach and
heat rushes my cheeks
as i swallow the bitter
in my throat.
when i wake,
frigid night air dimples my skin,
strong hands grip my arms
and the voice that speaks my name
has that
sexy American twang
i peek at my husband
whose animated eyebrows
dance on his
crimson face,
and like a far-off view
through someone else’s binoculars
the room comes into focus;
i’m an adult
i’m safe
except for the window ledge and
open window
over which i hover.
i step down,
into his arms
and weep.
That poem paints a vivid picture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Elle ❤️
LikeLike
I really liked ‘cognac and old spice—/ that deathly combination / which has no right to / linger on a young girl’s skin—‘ although I’m not sure you needed the deathly combination line. But the idea of those scents lingering on the skin was powerful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know what? You’re right. I’m gonna take that line out. I like it better without it. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person