Category: Poetry

“To Get to Zen” by Brett Elizabeth Jenkins

On By Christina's WordsIn Poetry

you must first lose your
shit in an elevator
in front of a man you do not know.

In line at the pharmacy, spill
the contents of your handbag,
a tampon falling
onto the foot of the elderly woman beside you.

Figure out some ways to use your body. Eat
too much, or not at all, or
eat just enough.

Anything will do.

While in a conversation, stop listening
and then begin to listen again.
Fill in the parts in between
with whatever you wish.

A llama, perhaps.

An unfinished chess game
knocked to the floor
(attach any emotion to this).

In a stairwell, take
three stairs at once.

Breathe as deep into your bones
as Houdini might have
into his.

Forget what you know.
Or, at least,
try.

via Paper Darts

“In Which Christina Imagines That Different Types of Alcohol Are Men and She Is Seeing Them All” by Christina Olson

On By Christina's WordsIn Poetry

Gin was nice enough but had tiny teeth: little ships
of white. Whiskey showed up an hour late,
took me and my one good dress

to a crab shack. We cracked boiled crawfish, swept
our fingers over the tablecloth, left butter behind.

I hid in the back of the coffee shop—crouched
behind whole beans—and scoped out Rum, then left
without introducing myself. Maybe it’s cruel of me

but I just wasn’t feeling exotic. Bourbon
and I had fun, but it was all cigarettes

and ex-wives. Tequila was ever the gentleman, blond
and smooth as caramel. Bought all my rounds
and when I came back from the bathroom he,

my wallet, my car: all gone. The bartender didn’t look
sorry. My mother set me up with Brandy

and I should have known that he’d be the type
to own small dogs. I don’t like poodles.
I saw Gin again last night; both of us out

with other people. His: a redhead. I waved anyway,
and when he smiled, all sharp points

and blooded gums, well, that was when I fell in love.

 

– Christina Olson

“you are your own soulmate” by rupi kaur

On By Christina's WordsIn Art, Poetry
"you are your own soulmate" by rupi kaur. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
“you are your own soulmate” by rupi kaur. (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

loneliness is a sign
you are in desperate
need of yourself

“you are your own soulmate” by rupi kaur, milk and honey. (@rupikaur_)

“I Would Rather” by Betsy Johnson-Miller

On By Christina's WordsIn Poetry

lick the sand

from my wound
than hope

good things will come
to the corner

of my heart

where someone built
a temple

without my permission

my wound is simple

always there

unlike that relentless
god who

comes and goes
like a tide

leaving the beautiful
and broken
behind

~ Betsy Johnson-Miller, via The Cortland Review

“Laugh Lines” by Trista Mateer

On By Christina's WordsIn Music, Poetry

I am always moving towards you.

On my bad days, I say to myself: ‘then you.’
Sure, this now. But then you.

I will keep tossing myself life lines.
I will keep writing myself afloat
until I don’t have to write a poem for every mile marker
from here to California.

You and I together is the most foolish thing
I’ve ever hoped for. You and I apart is more foolish.

When I can’t sleep at night, I dream up
conversations with you. I never call. I never push.
I try not to whine. I just write it all down.

Sometimes I want to apologize for wanting you out loud,
like too many people know the reasons
I am going to have laugh lines.

Sometimes instead of distanced pillow talk,
I want to curl up with the phone
and read you poetry.

Instead, we just talk about it.

You say, ‘Honey, how was your day?’
And I say, “Today I wrote another poem
about your coffee cup mouth
and all the ways you still keep me up at night.’

I hear a sigh in your smile.
You make a sound that reminds me of
fighting with my bags at the airport;
but you’re still too far away.

– Trista Mateer, ”Laugh Lines”

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“To A Poet” by First Aid Kit