PRINCE SAID YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BEAUTIFUL & I’M TELLING YOU:

YOU DON’T

Avril Thurman

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I don’t know what I need
but probably some tufts of pork floss
in congee or just sitting on top
of some mayonnaise in some kind of sandwich.

The natural world has frozen over, I’m fine
with it as long as it is snow
and I am sitting on top of that snow.

If you have an elbow, I need you
to move it closer to mine.
I need hot sauce I have hot sauce
I have seven kinds of hot sauce,
I’m in love with your poems,
I’m in love with your love.

Let’s go on a walk tonight
from here to the sofa.
People don’t know how far that is.
I don’t know what near is, what counts
as nearness. I don’t know what’s near enough.

I woke up unbeautifully and took a long swim
in the bathtub.
I had all your poems on paper.
I dropped all the papers in the bathtub
decoupaged to my legs,
I still read them.
I just didn’t know I needed them closer.

I just want to collapse
into you
I just want to collapse
a temporary collapse
even
a temporary one