i am tangled in the textured cracks
of your cinnamon swirl palms
so i crinkle up our poetry into an atom

i am chipped nail polish painted over
i am pushing the pebbles deeper into the earth
with the heel of my knock-offs

you are the dark splotches where the columns meet
the ceiling, like spilled coffee
no cream, no sugar

the sun is brazing the glass until it mattes
into opaque milky mirage,
the corners of your mouth ripple wrinkles

you are wet leaves when the air turns cold,
drenched on the ground with soggy crackle,
glossy disintegration into the sidewalk

—–
Sarah Dauer is a first year at Mount Holyoke College. Her minor superpowers include: stockpiling hot cheetos, making lists, and wearing socks. “tfw he’s dirt” has been previously published in Moneta, Mount Holyoke College’s Literary Journal.