Flowers in a Vase // Aquamarine

Flowers in a Vase

Molucca balm

in glass, upright,

parallel to my lips;

I inhale

mauve irises,

muted fixations

gathered by another

at the seams of us.

We’ll fill the uncolored

sepal with

opaline paint,

or nothing.

I’m breathing all this

in so you can lay me

down diaphragmatic.

____________________________

Aquamarine

You are wrought

and heavy

and daring

you are wistful

perfect curls

the corners

of my mouth

gather oceans

I can feel homebase

hand on my belly

queenfishes flopping

and then we kiss

the haze & contoured bridge

lines

frame this moment

but my Piscean dreams are swimming

in the wavy tresses of port and iron and

aqua below and beyond. To steel beams

and fleeting sunsets and a fluidity so

that it cannot be held in a vessel, not

even a bulbous glass with a stem—

only systemic memories.

Note: "Flowers in a Vase" was originally published in Tiny Seed Literary Journal's Pollinators issue; "Aquamarine" was originally published in Beyond Word Literary Magazine's Inaugural Issue as a winner of its Valentine's Day challenge.