Winter Poem
Megan Alyse
The quiche bakes in the oven on a rainy day
The room smells ripe like shells
All those blankets dead in piles
He’s married, twirls his ring
The cat licks himself in the middle of the night
I was told a queen is someone who kills it
We were told killing it looked like loads of money
She has her eyelashes and her nails that shine
No one can afford this world
No one reads anymore
The oyster in the half-shell quivers in vinegar
Frigid is the air and reason
He’s obsessed — with me —
Reasons to drink
There’s a tall tree yawning in the back
Obsession baffles itself
How hard mothers fail
How to entertain me starts with touch
He snores and sweats and swears and grunts
It’s where the dove shies away from morning
It’s the holidays that get through you
Megan Alyse is a writer, artist, and editor. Her debut book of poems, Bone Fish Girl, is forthcoming September ‘24 with Game Over Books. You can find some of her recent work appearing in Atlanta Review, Leon Literary Review, Peanut Butter Shrimp, and Scavengers Lit. Megan holds a BA in English from Weber State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. She lives, works, and writes in Savannah, GA. To connect with her, please visit meganalyse.com or connect with her on Instagram at @megs_alyse.