Adrian Darwent
Contributor
Okay. I’m listening
Two hearts beating
An autumn flutter
Wings powdered together
Sticky like your gloves
At the end of a long day
Picking flowers
For a paycheck
Okay. I’m listening
Two gloves hit the tin
Sides of a garbage can
And slap me in the face
Stinging like your touch
At the end of your parade
Picking someone else up
Outside my apartment
Okay. I’m listening.
To an excuse you’ve made
So easy to love
Just shut up and
Listen, okay?
We need to talk
I need you to listen
Are you listening?
I’m listening, okay?
Then look at me
when my eyes roll back into your head and
when my lungs beat at your chest to seize in the open wind and
when my embalmed cheeks siphon air from your wound and
when my throat has never worked so hard to breathe and
when you kiss me after you’ve buried me
I’m listening.