Sunday, January 20, 2013

Speak for Yourself (installation no. 5?)


So yay for SFYS again. And yay because some of you showed up and some of you read and I love you all a whole dang lot. I must say it's a little intimidating to read with a larger-than-life Anis behind you, but it's nice and also inspirational. I hope you know I paid $50 to get in there because of this: WE'RE PUBLISHING A BOOK. It's full of beautiful things like Avery Taylor and Rachel Smith and me and Roah and I hope you will buy it and read it, because (however biased I am) I think it'll be nice. Plus Kyle's making new t-shirts, and I can't wait because apparently they have some cool skull on them? I don't know. But I'll be sporting one soon enough.

The point is, this was my contribution to SFYS last night, brand new thing, written day of, and here you go. I'll say no more.


Lunch with Eve: Discussions on Apples and other Forbidden Fruits

Eve ate that apple because she was bored.
Sex-starved and overly-curious, she ate it because she could.
I know this because she told me over lunch last weekend.
Allow me to blaspheme for a moment here: Eve, eating that apple,
she was a real first-wave feminist, so, like, take that, Gloria.

And me? I ate my own Forbidden Fruit,
hook, line, and sinker.

So Eve and I discuss liberation and regret.
She says, "Time heals all things."
I'm impatient.
Eve got half the Bible for some catharsis,
but I have another idea: At the age of 17, haikus for
every boy I've ever kissed; some were serpents, some were fruits.

They go like this:

1: Took you long enough,
You darling, awful kisser.
Love you just the same.

2: Your lips are so big,
and I still hate you some days,
but you're so practiced.

3: You said sorry 'til
I believed there were things to
be real sorry for.

4: Your tongue on my teeth,
you hear what you want to hear.
I never said "love."

5: I still think you are
a liar who broke Marley's
fragile innocence.

6: To this day, I think
you are my soul mate, 'cause we
write the same stories.

7: In May, your first kiss.
What we meant was we think you
deserve the kisses.

8: I should have listened
when Connor White told me you
act like a teen girl.

9: By now, I've used up
all the syllables I have
to write about you.

10: That night: French kisses.
My dear, nous l'avons cassé.
Je suis désolé.

11: Paid you with a kiss
for your photography skill.
It was a win-win.

12: You? Forbidden fruit.
I'm dancing with regret now,
but it's not your fault.

So now I ask, "Eve, what now?"
She says this: "Me and you? We sure aren't the Virgin Mary."
The irony is not lost on either of us.

"I'm not much, but I'm all I have."
All my love,
Addy

6 comments:

Rachel. said...

I love this to death.

Avery Jalaine Taylor said...

Gud writing. However, I would like my own haiku because I feel like that one time I threatened to use my first kiss on you counted for something.


I hate the book and all it stands for.


But honestly, this poem is so good.

rsmith145 said...

So good, Addy.

Also, so excited for the book.

(Whatever Avery, you know you probably love that book a little bit.)

Marley Kay said...

I really just love this poem. Like a lot.

EJ ☯ said...

hey Addy, could you please check out my latest post (http://missieej.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/awards-timeeeeeeeeee.html) i have nominated you for an award! :D
love EJ xx

Miles Farnsworth said...

Very clever. Did Eve know she was sex starved? Ignorance is bliss in my happy world