They Will Get To You Shortly
By Erica Sherkin
life called on the yellow phone
the sparkling landline with the long
white extension cord and
life
called
today
to tell [you]
to understand
the|warmth|of |the|sand|
the pebbles
and undergrain and
what you gain
underneath your feet
life smiled
and it wondered
how bubbly seafoam
worked its way into a circle around your ankles and
did you giggle
when shells turned to stepping ___ stones
you hopped you closer to the
thing
called
joy
life leaped
with pride today
the cord e x te n d e d into the next {room}
it felt your heart
bubble up from the back of your throat
warm blush
!e x p l o d ed!
throughout your
cheeks
honey sun touched
the
tippy
tops
of your shoulders
—---------------------------------
the sun told life
that it stayed there
for a while
made itself comfortable
and danced on your collarbones
—--------------------------------------
life understood today
how your under
eyes
felt like
weighted
sandbags with crimson gravel
skin as deep as purple indigo
life tried to
loosen
///knotted\\\ knuckles///
even if it resulted in crackles and snaps
full of ? static
fuzzy as a television screen
life
talked to the
little drummer men
marching
on
in
your
head
told them that you had the only drum you need they
agreed to show you the march to your own beat
life burrowed its eyebrows
clenched its fists, cord almost snapped
it wondered why
seeing the soul in
reflection //noitcelfer
in
the
[room]
where you bathe
where
tangles come
out
and
cinnamon —------------- honeysuckle is
sprayed
was the
hardest
part
of
the
day
—--------
life wrapped the cord it within its hands
and explained in a soft voice
that God was on the other line
but He would get to you soon
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