Emily Kendal Frey
INVISIBLE BROTHER
Dear Jalapeno,
Dear Potential Stranger—
Your meta boxer shorts.
My universal back strength.
Your gigabytes of soft.
My time-release incisors.
Dear Levels,
Your stained fingers.
My jade plant.
Your cocktail.
My olive juice.
Dear Malevolent,
Dear Exchange,
Dear Sex Drips.
DARKNESS REPLACES YOU
Dear Jalapeno,
Dear Shamrock—
Her hair is a red tornado.
The Parthenon is blossoming.
Two things are certain,
Dear Amaryllis.
A ritual extraction:
good from bad.
I fell back on the
thorns. Held her
hands to my openings.
Dear Hillside,
Dear Portal,
Dear Nightstand,
Dear Forgetting.
X MARKS THE SPOT
Dear Jalapeno,
Dear Tilde,
Dear Gentle—
I did not dream
about the river.
I did not knock
at the door of your
video game.
A part of my hand
fell off in the shower.
Dear Clean,
Dear Fear—
Today left its motor running.
Can you breathe?
Dear Closer,
We’re sitting in
the wolves’ mouth.
It’s not too dark.