In the spirit of working on blogging and writing more in 2020, and my ultimate goal being to finish my book of poetry, I plan to share some poems I intend on including in said book over the next couple weeks. These poems are those I consider to be as close to “done” as a poem could be, and I encourage any feedback along the way to help my editing process. This particular poem won second place in the Spring 2019 University of Hartford Poetry Competition in the Abrahms Poetry category. It was written in 2012 as part of my Senior Portfolio for SUNY Purchase. I still made edits just now. No poem is ever really done unless you tell it to be.
Blue Eyes & Blue Veins
I wanted to memorize every detail
of your broken face, throbbing pulse
in your wrist, and lacerated skin,
replacing soft flesh I held when I was alone
in the dark of your living room floor.
But then I remembered: a memory
is hard to kick out
when it’s made a nest out of your intestines, slept
against your kidney, wove and wove
and made a home in your brain.
I wake up and see you climbing
my house again, rocks at my window
come outside, come outside.
But you are not outside and I’m inside my head
and we just never met in time
In my dreams you say,
back to bed.
Lately, I see your face everywhere:
in lime wedges and cups of gin,
sunken ships in stratus clouds,
voices carried in a pleat of wind.
Michelle Ketchum 