izzy

sometimes I think the people in generations before
are standing in heaven or wherever, looking down
grabbing their crotches, saying ‘INHERIT THIS, MOTHERFUCKERS’
but there must be others, there must be others there too
with their fists raised and their skirts hitched still

*

sarah

I watched with breathless awe as a child
Young enough to be genderless
Hair like a breath of silk, eyes like the stars
Came clambering up to my cross-legged lap
Placed two fat flat hands on my knee
Leaned up into my face
And stared
With the placid good natured acceptance
Of the newly minted
Tendrils of drool fell from shining wet lips
Snaked down onto my skirt
And I didn’t care. Not one bit.
I was grinning like the first Spring morning
Saying ‘Hello’ over and over
Puffing my cheeks and wiggling my eyebrows
Tearing my eyes away now and then
To exchange ‘Well how about that’ glances
With a laughing-eyed mother

And I thought: you, you are the most perfect thing
And it wrecks me
Because this sonofabitch world will tear you down
Will tread you into the ground at every turn
And just when you think you have it all
Your phone will ring and your beautifully plastered life
Will rain down around your ears
You will be so sad, little cloud
You will be wretched and lost and you’ll choke on your tears
And you will be so fucking disappointed so fucking often

It’s a beautiful world, little love, but it’s a cruel one too
And I don’t know how anyone could bring a new thing into it

You, you are the most perfect thing
And one day you won’t be
And I can’t bear it

*