Do We Have to Let it Linger By Aislinn Camden Call me baby, call me sweetheart, call me darling, call me fool Call me needy, call me shallow, know I’d call you all that too Leave trails of spit on my split lips: the taste of blood and worry Shoes in your hands, there are no words left you should be in a hurry The blown-out candle still blows smoke try hard not to feel relieved Wiggling mixed feelings like loose teeth, retreat my hands inside my sleeves Blocked numbers and crumpled polaroids the whole ending on display Nose rings tangled together—metal on metal how did you know you were gay? A hand on my shoulder, a hand on your arm I shake as I remember Sleeping nose to nose, matched bone for bone —We met last December Blood that stained as it spilled now it’s a different season Put milk in the tea to calm my nerves sometimes hurt lingers without reason.
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