SPARK

Jay Young Gerard
Puppy
Inspiration piece

Both Sides of That Face
By Lissa Nielsen
Response

I’ve been talking out both sides of my mouth,
compromising the urge to flee
with the imitation of staying, as

I dust off the cremated bones of
my former life. Once I was
willing
now,
unwilling to dig for you underneath all those mangled layers.

I stuttered under the tailspin of defeat, waiting for your call.
What more than that did you want?

I hush ruin with the
slow gloomy moan of violins;
sleep with a bag of flowers under my head.

It’s never what I hope for — what happens after.
Now I twist my eyes to avoid yours and clench like misery the trappings
of regret. I lived in your body
for what I thought was years, but we barely covered a season.

The more you said
the more you covered up, and now
you can say I told you so.

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