One Behind
by Christopher Shipman Your eyes are stuck behind mine,
two moon-struck marbles–
glowing beams of gold dust.
Tying them down isn’t tough,
only the soul-squirming–
roll in the palm of all the world.
It’s a short distance between the stars–
every light as far as you.
Let them fall in front of my feet.
I can see where to walk,
if there are cracks in front of me–
everything bundled like old secrets.
Avoiding them isn’t hard.
I know their need to hide–
same foaming mouth I taste.
Light is ravenous, incorrigible.
Your nights show no difference–
playing with indelible desires.
Go ahead, you know it's safe–
abide every change I’ve come
to expect, sight vexed in flame.
Your eyes still insist I’m lying
through their teeth, know nothing–
that’s all I know. They have teeth. |
|
© 2007 prickofthespindle.com |
Christopher Shipman was born in Memphis Tennessee in 1982. He received is BA in English at Arkansas State University, where he began his work in poetry with poet Rick Lott. Shipman’s poems have appeared in other journals including Bohemian Rat, Arkansas Review, Arkansas Literary Forum, Clark Street Review, and Poesy. He is now pursuing an MFA degree in creative writing at Louisiana State University.
|