Breath

By Cheryl Marie Wade

lips pressing hard against my mouth your lips hungry for me my mouth hands pressing sliding down my thighs your thighs hungry now I want wait I want I can't I want I can't breathe lips pressing hard against thighs I want Midnight blue wrapping red lungs concentrate your thighs pressing Breath in your mouth pressing Breath out I want us eternal lovers rolling in the Breathe sand I want Breath in babe I want you concentrate the kitchen table feeding each other Greek Breathe olives oil dripping down across my Breathe breasts I want spiked heels clicking Breathe on hardwood concentrate blue black mesh stockings rhinestone earrings as big as Breathe pinecones Breathe red lace garters laughing laughing until we can't breathe Breathe I want you I need to concentrate midnight blue I want I want Midnight blue I need your fingertips I need stroke my damp cheek I need stroke my hair while I lie here I want and breathe breath

About this poem

Subtitled “an internal monologue”. The poem is in two voices: the indented words, set in italic in Wade’s typescript, are a second voice counting the speaker’s breath.

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