Missing Us During a Downpour in Louisiana
by Reese Menefee
I admire the storm’s mossed backdrop, mug of lukewarm
coffee in my hands, humidity lolling against my skin.
I’ve crowded my countertops with matches and flashlights,
lit every candle for when the power goes out.
You called me a collector once and I’ll admit it,
I collect love like postage stamps, stuff
my pockets with hailstones and voicemails.
I want to text you:
Meet me at our storm-wrecked house.
I’ll catch guttered rain in my mouth
until I’m all rust and water, all hurricane.
You and I are as mold-eaten
as our old bedroom, a portrait of lightning
reflecting every cracked window.
I’ll replace your indifference with quiet
mornings and the sound of stale
cereal going soggy. I’ll press my ear
to the faucet and listen for saltwater,
the wash of your voice seeping through my pipes.
I’ll fall asleep on the couch, and remember
how our mildewed mattress hugged the curb,
sopped puddles, held us together.
coffee in my hands, humidity lolling against my skin.
I’ve crowded my countertops with matches and flashlights,
lit every candle for when the power goes out.
You called me a collector once and I’ll admit it,
I collect love like postage stamps, stuff
my pockets with hailstones and voicemails.
I want to text you:
Meet me at our storm-wrecked house.
I’ll catch guttered rain in my mouth
until I’m all rust and water, all hurricane.
You and I are as mold-eaten
as our old bedroom, a portrait of lightning
reflecting every cracked window.
I’ll replace your indifference with quiet
mornings and the sound of stale
cereal going soggy. I’ll press my ear
to the faucet and listen for saltwater,
the wash of your voice seeping through my pipes.
I’ll fall asleep on the couch, and remember
how our mildewed mattress hugged the curb,
sopped puddles, held us together.
Photo by Anna Atkins on Unsplash
Reese Menefee is a poet from Kentucky. She is an MFA candidate at McNeese State University. Her work is forthcoming in The Sun Magazine and The Threepenny Review.
A 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, Reese's poem can be found in Issue 26 of Glassworks.
A 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, Reese's poem can be found in Issue 26 of Glassworks.
