brush spider away
hum of air conditioning
is this what normal is?
Dane Lyn
punkhippypoet
Dane Lyn is an educator, poet, and glitter enthusiast with an MFA from Lindenwood University. Find them in Southern California ridding their shoes of sand, loving their partner, playing music too loud, constructing blanket forts, and caring for their menagerie of teens, snakes, lizards, dogs, rabbits, and cats. Dane’s work can be seen in Gnashing Teeth, Closed Eye Open, Anti-Heroin Chic and Nymph Publication, links to which are all at DaneLyn.net, they tweet from @PunkHippyPoet
sand to discover (Prompt hour 6)
foot falls repeat
foot tap sand
sand gives way
sand records images
images of sea
images in mist
mist and matter
mist that wanders
wander toward cliff
wander with love
love slows down
love watches laughter
laughter at spray
laughter hurts cheeks
cheeks flush pink
cheeks chafed in wind
wind smells of ocean
wind a guarantee
guarantee of comfort
guarantee for life
life escape
life the point
point there’s gulls
point to destination
destination none
destination realized
realize heart pound
realize breath out
out of my way
out to play
play in waves
play for keeps
keep going
keep my hand
hand me over
hand of welcome
welcome warmth
welcome to hold
hold the line
hold back
back to the beach
back to horizon
horizon deep blue
horizon feels heavy
heavy thighs ache
heavy pants cone
come to discover
come to rejuvenate
discover
rejuvenate
complete and safe Hour 5
promise to care
promise complete
complete control
complete the puzzle
puzzle not broken
puzzle to solve
solve a riddle
solve for x
x too harsh
x to avoid
avoid the camera
avoid the lights
lights blind me
lights to condemn
condemn this kindness
condemn assigned gender
gender all pink
gender dirty snake
snake hiss hiss
snake settled around
around my wrist
around my neck
neck very vulnerable
neck all exposed
exposed and tense
exposed to bite
bite now sharp
bite catches breath
breath of fingers
breath born
born from pain
born of submit
submit as play
submit to implement
implement the hoax
implement an escape
escape to freedom
escape the pain
pain in chest
pain to agree
agree to diminish
agree to hide
hide from him
hide away heart
heart in cage
heart safe
safe cracking
safe in ice
ice
cracking
the first nudist pool party after covid (Prompt 4)
hats and pants off to you all
safety found in white vaccination records
salacious smile from our hostess who provided
sex machine demonstrations in the living room
sun soaked breasts
scrutinize them, that’s why I’m here
sounds of pleasure
silly flirty coquettish glances
secure a room
settle on a large bed
seize the day or something like that
hats and pants off to you all
(First and last line accredited to “Bonk” by Mary Roach)
worthless (prompt 3)
I didn’t say I’m worthless
I didn’t say I’m worthless (he did)
I didn’t say I’m worthless (I thought it)
I didn’t say I’m worthless (but the insinuation was there)
I didn’t say
joyful unseen things
sudden acceleration
the silence after hiccups
the sense of weightlessness floating in a cool pool
being called sir
breath-stopping complete release orgasms
a negative test result
kitten nuzzles
thunder
an empty to do list
soft snores of my beloved
gender euphoria
the pulse slowing deep first hit
birdsong mimicking owl hoot
shadows of rebirth
too many times, or perhaps not
enough times, I have crafted a new
veneer for this life, for my
persona, after all tomorrow is
another day, and another, and still
more. new beginnings collected in a firefly jar
of wishes to not be
me.
shadow upon faded shadow,
black and grey scars chronicling the
rises
and falls
of my gummed up gear filled phoenix.