10 Ways to Write a Poem
- Reassemble the torn bits of the poem
he left on your desk in 1989 - Listen to the waves wash around
sanded jellyfish and mermaids - Retrace the steps he took
to give you a birthday kiss - Dance with her in post-stroke
and wedding dresses
and a virtual audience - Feather the skinned knees of every
smooth-cheeked kiss - Drink down wine
turned to water
turned to winter - Stretch the length of your spine
along his hand and the lined page - Taste the fat of coffee cream lyrics
sung by a burning boy - Lock eyes with clasped hands
across happy hour smiles
and congenital heart defects - Commit it all to paper
commit to no one
commit soul to holy hands
commit the rest to memory
About the Poet: Annmarie Lockhart is the founding editor of vox poetica, an online literary salon dedicated to poetry, and Unbound Content, an independent poetry press. A lifelong Bergen County, New Jersey resident, she lives, writes, and works two miles from the hospital where she was born. You can read her words at fine journals online and in print.
Poetry Breakfast accepts submissions of poetry and poetry related creative non-fiction year-round. See our Submission Guidelines page for details on submitting your work.
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