I Kissed Her

By Selma Ortiz

 

I kissed her- 

as I’d kiss the red

On bruises left 

By love that ends

Like blood 

That’s running

Down her legs 

And arms 

And messes 

With 

her head

 

Imagine two 

Of Edens daughters

Laughing dirty,

Smiling dirty

dirty dirty

dirty dirty-

Emotional women

Pretty women

Drowning in

the devils’ lake 

leaving stains

Of tears 

That blur 

The names

On god’s

Election day 

 

I want to kiss her 

Like the rain

Erases truth

And 

Puddles hate

And hides 

The ways of 

Two young men

Who’s sinful lives

Deserved to end

 

And I want

To kiss her 

Like the scars

That shaped

My worth

And ate my words

And only scabbed 

And only tried

And only healed

When I lie dead 

 

Iris Underwood’s The Great Storm is Over