He Moves to Texas

but first, there’s one last month:

one last month in surreal suspension,

white walls and all the furniture gone.

In this sparkling suburban cave where we

seem to be crystallizing, we pile blankets on the floor

for a bed, and everyone believes my excuses,

so I spend all my hours in our white-washed seclusion, and you’re

sticking around too long, it’s like a trick.

This is the only summer I have ever liked: I like rocking on this stool in the dark outside the garage, pulling my dirty sweater over my knees, hoping it will still smell like smoke tomorrow. I like how you string my thoughts up in high-flying waves, up into the black-blue sky; and even when they won’t come down. I like listening to your friends and their venom, the ugly, scraping things they say about girls, because it stings in a funny way, and because you bump my knee about it when they do.

I show you that artist who, too, was waiting to be caught -

once, he ate nothing but ice cream for a month - and then he killed himself - but didn’t he know how perfect. We say, and so sometimes we try to save him. Then you show me your journals, boxes and boxes of them, your premonitions. Can’t tell if you are crazy, or just fun.

I wanted to live in your harsh angles for a while,

in your rooms of weird colors and depths.

Never meant for you to start painting them.

Was better back when I didn’t know you well enough to question your detachment.

Now as the van pulls up for the last of the boxes,

I am already expanding, softening back into someone

brighter, rounder, and much less cool. Strange how, wherever I go and whoever I meet, the smell of smoke remains yours. Follow it into corners where the people are more like you

than you were. Two years later, you still say you miss me at all the right times.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the Texas poetry.
"I wanted to live in your harsh angles for a while,
in your rooms of weird colors and depths.
Never meant for you to start painting them."
The above lines were my favorite. A willing woman is nice to have. I liked the use of good description leading to the very nice ending. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[The Twin Arenas]

the line about following the smell of smoke is a beaut.

[. serah .]

-- ah... for me... the expressions "surreal suspension", "white-washed seclusion", "can't tell if you're crazy", "people are more like you than you were" and "you still say you miss me" emerge strongly in this piece of poetry...

-- i dunno for sure but sometimes i think that certain crazy people indulge in the kind of subliminal manipulation that turns us into puppets in their hands... -- our minds create attics just to store memories of what we think is their 'brilliance'...

-- fantastic stuff... i'm gonna wonder about it almost interminably...

[Fahmida Mehreen]

I appreciate the way you decided to put your strong sentiments in a simple manner.

Good work! :)

[Gray]

I enjoyed the way you gave it a story-type narrative. I agree with the reviewer below, I also like this.

[LeFestinRaven]

I liked it. Especially the middle part. Keep it up.