Kiss this Cross
Wait. I need to lace my heart,
raise my eyes above this ruckus.
He’s tall enough to tipsy me over.
It’s bleeding, like the real cross.
Don’t shove. Look. It cracks.
Or writhes. Are those woodlice?
No. It’s glued to his fingers. Shhh.
Oh. A polished promise.
What? What did you say?
Why do you hold yourself like that?
She has no dignity.
She stalks him like a cat.
I hear its wooden rosary
rattling in my throat.
My thighs chafe. My charm rubs
in the pocket of my fox fur coat.
I am crucified, plug my palm.
I’m ready, and cannot wait.
You’ll have to, like the rest of us.
If you’re overheating, stand in the shade.
It is hot. How everyone glows.
Did she just lick her lips?
By the time I get there
it’ll be swollen with your spit.- Andrea Porter & Heather Taylor
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